Savage Unbound
by OrionPax09
Summary: Hulk and Wasp are two unlikely friends. And when a precious person from the Hulk's past becomes caught in a crossfire, their friendship might be the only thing that can save her, and the Avengers.
1. Shocking Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 1: Shocking Revelations

As Janet Van Dyne exited the portable laboratory of Hank Pym, she didn't bother looking at the incredible scientific equipment that surrounded it. She didn't bother looking at the PDA she carried, she didn't say a word as she made her way from huge scientific complex beneath the Avengers Mansion. She simply walked in a very polished, controlled manner, her footsteps the only sound made as she made her way into the elevator and pressed the button that would send it up into the mansion proper.

And then she screamed.

_"Aaarrrrgggh!"_ Janet howled, clenching her free hand into a fist and slamming it into the plexiglass wall. "I can't _believe _that man! What does he think I am, one of his creepy robots?"

Her naked fist stinging somewhat from her blow, Janet glanced down at the PDA once again, looking at the information that had recently been put on it. Letting it spur her fury to new heights before firing off another punch. "I spent _forever_ on planning all this out! The arrangements, the reservations, _everything!_ And he actually has the gall to blow it all off?"

Her fist a bit sore, Janet decided to vent her growing frustrations with a few kicks to the elevator even as it arrived at her destination. "Science is fun, Jan! Science solves all our problems, Jan! I don't have time to waste on this, Jan!" she ranted in a mocking imitation of Hank's voice as she left the elevator behind. Pausing to look back at it, she scowled viciously as she pictured the jerk that had happily sent all her hard work and preparation down the toilet with no effort whatsoever. "Hmph! Like _he's _one to talk!" Shaking her head disgustedly, Janet continued down the hallway, thinking evil thoughts. "I swear, one of these days, he's gonna push me too far, and then -!"

"Who's gonna push ya too far?" came a deep, rumbling of thunder shaped into human speech. A voice that stopped Janet in her tracks and prompted her to look down another hallway. "Someone give ya trouble?"

Janet knew even before she looked who the owner of that voice was. A massive figure of a man, eight-feet tall at least, his entire body composed of massive coils of muscle. His outsized hands and feet gave him a brutish, primitive appearance, one that was enhanced by his emerald-green hide and ragged purple trousers. As was usual, a scowl hung about his eyes, like he was waiting for somebody to come along who was stupid enough to pick a fight with him.

Janet just smiled and answered, "Hulk! Hey, how have you been?"

The jade giant shrugged, something that looked like two mountains sliding together. "Same as usual," Hulk muttered as he approached. "So, what's with you?" He gave a hopeful curl of his lip before asking, "Somebody you want smashed?"

Despite everything, Janet couldn't help but chuckle. "No, not particularly." Then she glanced back at the elevator before muttering, "Though if you wanted to turn Hank's portable anthill into a pile of scrap metal, I sure wouldn't complain!"

Giving a mild snort, Hulk muttered, "Having problems with that egghead again?"

"What makes you think I ever _stop _having problems with him?" Janet grumbled before starting forward again. After a moment, the Hulk moved to follow a polite distance behind, his massive weight resulting in a minor earthquake with every step he took. "I swear, he's so impossible! It makes me crazy sometimes!"

Hulk issued another mild snort, this one with a hint of a laugh to it. "So what did he do _this _time?"

"Ruined two days of solid work, that's what!" Janet immediately answered, again looking down at her PDA. "With everything that's been happening lately, what with Kang's invasion and that whole mess with Hydra and AIM, I thought it would be nice for the two of to go out on the town! Relax! Have some fun!" Pausing to open up one of the files she had, the brunette began scanning the list of preparations she had made. "I made reservations at this one restaurant Tony recommended - you know, the one that caters to 'unusual' clientele?" Hulk made a rumbling sound of agreement to this. "I got advanced tickets to this great movie that's coming out next week, as well as reservations at a dozen of the most exciting places New York has to offer! I had _everything_ all planned out for the perfect day out on the town!" Feeling her heart pounding angrily, Janet closed the file and lowered the PDA. "So, what happens when I drop by Hank's lab to surprise him with it?"

"Let me guess," Hulk rumbled in a knowing manner. "Mr. Science blew you off."

"Feh! You know it!" Janet growled, giving the PDA a vicious shake. "He just glanced at it before saying that he didn't have time to waste on stuff like this! That he was too behind on his research!" Shaking her head at the memory searing at her insides, she continued, "When I tried to tell him that he needed a break, and that it wouldn't hurt to relax a bit, have some fun, he just said ,'science _is _fun'!"

"And went right back to whatever it was he was doing, right?" Hulk gathered.

"Oh, no! Even _worse!"_ Janet grumbled, again glaring at her PDA. "Without even bothering to look up from his microscope, he downloaded a bunch of meetings he said he needed me to take!" Opening the file in question, she glowered angrily at the boatload of bureaucratic red tape Hank wanted her to navigate for him. "Business arrangements, applications for more grant money, the whole works! He's got me tied up for an entire _month,_ Hulk! Longer, if we get another supervillain invasion or whatever!" Feeling a tremor of pure rage run up her spine, Jan looked up at her massive companion. "And you wanna know what the worst part is?"

"You mean you haven't gotten there yet?" Hulk replied, arching an eyebrow at this.

"I could actually have understood it if Hank were blowing me off to work on something important! You know, if it were something that actually helped people!" Janet went on, thinking of all the projects a man of Hank Pym's technical brilliance was capable of accomplishing. "New medical treatments, reversing environmental damage! Something _useful!"_ Pressing her lips together, she then fumed, "Even replacing all the Ultrons we lost during Kang's invasion, or - or his plans for rehabilitating supervillains! _Something!_"

"And you call wasting time on a bunch of would-be conquerors useful?" Hulk muttered, making it quite clear what he thought of that. Not that Janet could blame him, her being of a similar opinion. "So what _is _he working on?"

"Oh, you're gonna _love _this!" Janet informed him in a mocking tone. "He's _synthesizing yellowjacket genomes!_ He wants to be able to make little bugs from _scratch!_" Letting out a disgusted noise, she punctuated it by sneering, "Now _there's_ a real benefit to the world!"

If possible, Hulk's near-perpetual scowl deepened. "You're right. I _should _smash that stupid anthill of his."

Chuckling at this statement, Janet let out a low sigh before continuing, "So, not only has Hank again succeeded in isolating himself in his own little science world, but he's got me bogged down for, like, forever!" she ranted once again before letting her arms and the cursed PDA she held fall to her sides. "I should've known this would happen..."

And she should have. Janet knew that. She had been working with Hank for a long time now, knew how he worked, how he acted. Knew that, given a choice between spending a fun-filled day at Coney Island and staring at a bug under microscope, he would gladly choose the bug every single time. And even worse, act like an excited little kid at Coney Island while doing so.

_Why do I bother?_ Janet thought sadly. _Why do I even try getting him out of his own little world? To notice something that isn't related to science?_ Lowering her gaze somewhat, she added, _To notice...me..._

A low rumble in Hulk's throat stirred Janet back to the moment, just in time for him to ask, "So what are you gonna do now?"

"I dunno," Janet admitted sourly. "It's too late to cancel half the things on this list, and canceling the other half would take forever! And I don't _have _forever! Not with everything Hank's dumped on my plate." Then she darted a glance at Hulk, smiling slightly as she asked, "Say...I don't suppose _you'd_ want to go?"

His eyes widening somewhat, Hulk paused before smiling gently. "Thanks, but...I'm not exactly built for nights out on the town."

_That's for sure,_ Wasp agreed, thinking of all the places in which half a ton of muscle-bound Hulk would _not _fit in, physically and metaphorically. "Well, just thought I'd ask," she said aloud. "I dunno...maybe Tony would enjoy it. Or maybe Steve." Then she looked up and added, "I mean, he's still trying to get caught up on everything. Maybe I could help him with that while we're at it."

Hulk shrugged again, not having anything to say to this. Not that this was a surprise to Janet; the green goliath was far from skilled at dealing with people, even on his best days. _Then again, it's not like I can blame him,_ she thought, recalling how they had first met during the battle against Graviton. The day the Avengers had first assembled.

The Hulk had been a frightening thing to see in action, the way he had savagely and brutally assaulted Graviton. It had been easy for Wasp, who had known nothing about the man-monster at the time, to see why the military and SHIELD had so thoroughly hounded him since the day of his genesis. But even then, there had been no getting around the fact that the Hulk's arrival had turned the tide against the maniacal scientist, allowing Iron Man, Thor, and Hank and herself a chance to recover and rally against the man who had become Graviton.

Then came the moment in which Janet had gotten what she considered to be her first look at the person the Hulk _truly_ was. The green goliath had been falling to the Earth, Graviton pelting him with numerous shipping containers, far more than even he could successfully smash his way through. And then Janet, as the high-flying Wasp, had arrived at his side and started blasting a path through the containers.

It had been nothing in Wasp's mind. Hulk had saved them, was fighting the enemy they had been powerless to defeat. And when he was in trouble, she had come to his assistance. But she had started blazing a trail for him, it was clear that her assistance was _far_ from nothing to him.

_You're...you're helping me..._ came the Hulk's words, echoing in Janet's mind. The look of total astonishment on his face, the look of someone too horribly abused to believe that anyone would ever want to help him. In that moment, it had become clear that the Hulk was many things, but not a monster. Something that had only become clearer with time.

After the disastrous first encounter with Enchantress and her cruel attempts to manipulate the Hulk into doing her bidding, the jade giant had left the team for a time. And during that time, Janet had looked through his files, trying to find out more about him. Tried to understand him, learn how she could convince him to trust them again. And what she had found was tragedy after tragedy, horror piled up upon horror. The sorrowful existence of Bruce Banner had soon left her in tears, even before she began reading the details of his life after the infamous disaster that had resulted in him becoming the creature known as the Incredible Hulk.

_If I had been through even a fraction of what he's suffered, I think I would have gone insane a long time ago,_ Janet thought woefully. Beaten and brutalized throughout his life, with no one to turn to as Bruce Banner. Endlessly hounded and persecuted by the military and SHIELD, his very appearance sending people running from him in terror as the Hulk. And both aspects of him always alone.

Wondering not for the first time as to exact nature of the two personalities that lived with him, Janet then thought of a time when she herself had experienced a fraction of the Hulk's torment. When she had been transmogrified into an insectoid horror by the Leader in a mad attempt to remake the world in his own image. _Is that what it's like for him?_ she wondered, thinking of the savage impulses that had been released in her, channeled at her own friends by the Leader's mind control. _All that rage and power, flowing through you, driving you forward. Leaving you able to do nothing but smash anything in your way..._

And as she thought that, Janet smiled, for the fact was that, despite everything the Hulk had been through, he had the heart of a hero. Despite his inner demons, he had tried to extend a small amount of compassion to her when she was dealing with her own relatively minor problems. And with that in mind, she then said, "Say, if you don't mind, there _is _something I _would _like to do." Making a questioning sound in his throat, the Hulk looked at her as she said, "After what Hank pulled, I sure would like to vent some anger. Wanna help me find some creeps to beat up?"

Hulk looked at her for a time before smiling a more dangerous smile. A smile Janet had seen sending grown men running away, screaming for their mommies. "You actually have to ask?" he rumbled with undisguised eagerness. "Where do we start?"

"Hey, this is New York! There's _always_ creeps to be beat up somewhere! It's just a matter of knowing where to look!" Then Janet brought her free hand to her chin and smiled deviously. "Say, didn't Hawkeye say that he had a good friend in SHIELD? What was her name...?"

"Mockingbird," Hulk rumbled a bit more sourly. "What about her?"

"Well, it just occurs to me that she might be able to help us get a line on any Hydra or AIM goons that managed to slink off during that last battle," Janet explained. "And if not...well, we can always go looking around, and hope we get lucky."

Furrowing his brows, Hulk visibly considered this before shrugging. "Eh, why not?" he finally decided. "Besides, Cupid's pretty good in a fight. Maybe we'll let him tag along."

"Great!" Wasp grinned eagerly. Despite what Hank thought about violence, there was nothing quite like a little bad guy bashing to help her feel better. "Let's hurry up and find him so we can get going! There's plenty of jerks out there, just waiting for us to beat 'em all up!"

"Yeah!" Hulk grinned dangerously, driving a fist into the palm of his other hand.

* * *

><p>"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tony cried out in dismay. "We suffered <em>this <em>much damage?"

Chuckling at the horror in his teammate's voice, Clint Barton sat up on the sofa he was lounging on and looked over at the so-called leader of the Avengers, who was presently sitting at a table in the mansion living room, wearing civilian garments instead of his Iron Man armor. Which was just as well, because he was presently struggling with an enemy that his armor couldn't help him against, that no amount of blasting could keep at bay.

Paperwork.

"Stark Tower might be the most advanced building on the planet, Tony, fitted with top-end defense systems and automated repair systems. But even it can take a pounding when it loses all power," Pepper Potts countered easily as she handed her boss more bad news. Adding another form to the mountain of paperwork that was already spilling off the tabletop. "And that's not counting the problems we've had at some of our subsidiaries." Then the redhead pressed her lips together, a hint of sadness appearing in her eyes as she added, "Williams Innovations was hit especially hard. We hadn't finished upgrading their systems when the EMP hit. They'll require extensive repairs to their main office before..."

Smirking as Tony brought his hands to his face, his eyes glazing over as Pepper continued to tell him everything he needed to do instead of running the company for him as she was usually forced to, Clint tuned them out before focusing his attention on the big screen TV in the mansion living room, and the baseball game that was being played. "So, what do you think, old man?" he asked in somewhat joking manner as he glanced over at the other Avenger watching the game. "Betcha not used to being able to watch a baseball game without actually being there."

Glancing back at the archer, Steve gave a wry curl of his lip. "Believe it or not, Hawkeye, we actually _did _have television back in my day. It might not have been as fancy, but we did have it," said the living legend known as Captain America. Then he smiled when the Yankee batter blasted a ball for a home run. "I'm just glad the game itself hasn't changed all that much."

Sitting back himself, Clint contented himself to relax and enjoy the game. The past few weeks had been exhausting for the Avengers, what with two invasions and the entire planet nearly being turned into a giant snowball. And as much as the team sometimes seemed like a bomb just waiting to go off in his face, it was nice to have someplace where he seemed to fit in, even if his teammates were more-or-less a bunch of misfits. _Kinda like me, when you think about it,_ he thought, recalling his own interesting past. _Not too many places where an ex-circus performer, ex-SHIELD agent can fit in..._

Even as he thought this, Clint felt a minor earthquake running up through the sofa, one that was promptly followed by another. "Hey, everybody!" came Janet's exuberant voice alongside set of footsteps readily recognized as being made by Hulk. "What's happening?"

Looking up from the mountain of business bull that was overwhelming his table, Tony groaned and sourly muttered, "What's happening, Janet, is that my secretary is trying to bore me to death while Cap and Hawkeye sit on, doing nothing to save me from this gruesome fate."

"Well, it _is _your company," Pepper commented, sounding somewhat amused by Tony's ire. "You can't get away from doing real work _all _the time."

Chuckling at this and pausing to wonder which of them was _really_ in charge of Stark Industries, Clint sat up and looked at the newcomers. "Hey, Jade Jaws," he commented as Hulk followed Wasp into the living room. "So what are you and Jan up to?"

"Looking for you, actually," Janet commented. Then she paused and glanced about the living room. "Say, where're Thor and Panther? Did they go back to Wakanda already?"

"Thor did," Steve confirmed. "He's been spending a lot of time with Wakandan shamans and scientists lately. And as for T'Challa, he had to go back to the Wakandan embassy."

"Really?" Wasp frowned worriedly. "Why? Is something wrong back home?"

"He just said that he had a meeting with a foreign ambassador of some kind. From...Latveria, I think it was." Then Steve frowned and added, "He didn't seem too happy about it, though."

"Gee, now _there's _a surprise," Tony smirked in knowing manner.

"You know something about this?" Steve wondered.

"Nope. But I _do _know quite a bit about Latveria," Tony grinned, giving Steve an knowing look. "Let's just say that I met the ambassador in question once before. And trust me when I say you wouldn't like her preferred method of negotiating."

As Steve frowned, making it clear that he was in the dark about Latveria and its monarch, Clint focused on Janet. "So, you said you were looking for me, huh?" he asked in a coy manner. "What happened? Did you finally get tired of waiting for Hank to develop an interest in something other than bugs?"

"Hmph. I'm closer to that than you might think," Janet replied in a sour manner. Then she brightened up and said, "But, seriously, you know that friend of yours? Mockingbird?"

The code-name conjuring up an image of a woman in a rather unforgettable costume, Clint hesitated before responding, "Bobbi? What about her?"

"Well, you told us that she had a line on some Hydra bases or something here in New York, right?" Janet asked. When Clint numbly nodded, she smiled and explained, "Well, Hulk and I are looking for some goons to vent some of our frustrations on, and Hydra creeps are always good for that!"

"What?" Tony started, sitting bolt-upright, his eyes bulging from their sockets as he swung about to look at the lone female member of the Avengers. "Jan, are you kidding me? You want to ask a member of _SHIELD_ to help us track down some Hydra agents just so you and Hulk can use them for therapy bags?"

"And what's wrong with that?" Janet wondered in a playful manner. "They're Hydra agents! You know, as in bad guys? What's wrong with us beating them up and putting them in jail?"

Letting out a sound that was a cross between an exasperated groan and a disbelieving laugh, Tony sat back and said, "Jan, I don't know if you've noticed it, but Hydra isn't a group you can take lightly!"

"I know that!" Janet protested. "But, c'mon! Strucker's in jail, along with all his lieutenants and a whole platoon of his goons! Hydra's leaderless now! All they can really do is hole up in whatever bases they have left and hope that we can't find them!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Steve countered in a low, stern manner that was backed up by personal experience. "Hydra may have been defeated and in disarray, but I wouldn't count on them staying that way. Cut off one head," he said, holding up his fingers to illustrate his point, "and two more take its place. That's their slogan, and it's something they took very serious in my day."

"And they take it just as seriously now," Tony confirmed. "We have no idea what kind of firepower they might still have lying around, or just how many of their people got away. And with everything that's been happening lately, I'm pretty sure your average New Yorker wouldn't appreciate us stirring up trouble just for the fun of it." Then he furrowed his brows unhappily before adding, "Besides, we've got enough problems to deal with without us picking fights we don't have to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hulk rumbled ominously.

"Remember what Maria Hill, SHIELD's current director told us after that mess with the cosmic cube?" Tony explained. "How she was going to go to the president and congress to force us to work for SHIELD?"

This statement immediately destroyed Clint's ability to pay attention to the baseball game he had been watching. "Let me guess," he grumbled, recalling his own experiences with the woman in question. "She wasn't just talking, was she?"

"Afraid not," Tony confirmed. "A friend of mine, Rhodey? He's been in contact with some of his friends in the military and congress. And it turns out that Hill is already in overdrive, trying to make it happen." Scowling bitterly as he glanced back at his paperwork, clearly without any interest in doing any of it, he continued, "She's making the case that, without regulation, the Avengers are every bit as dangerous as Hydra and AIM. And therefore we have to be registered and put under SHIELD's control."

This earned a heavy scowl from Steve. "That's a violation of constitutional rights," he commented with heavy disdain. "Or is that something else that's changed over the years?"

"Nope. The constitution hasn't changed, Steve," Tony assured him. "It's just that SHIELD has no trouble ignoring it when it suits them. And, from the look of things, Hill is even more inclined to disregard it than Fury was."

"So what's that mean for us?" Clint wondered, not liking the sound of this. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division was an organization charged with keeping the Earth in one piece, and as such possessed both tremendous resources and influence. And while they had done a fairly decent job of keeping the peace under Nick Fury, it was also obvious that they had been doing things that were far from legal. And now that Maria was Director of SHIELD, she had made it clear that she didn't care what it took to get what she had wanted. "Do we just sit back and wait for her to indoctrinate us all into SHIELD? Or do we actually try and do something to stop it?"

"Well, I still have friends in high places that might be able to help," Tony responded. "And I asked T'Challa to have his ambassadors try and put in a good word for us with the UN. I mean, I have to figure that saving the world a few times will have won us a favor or two." Then the armor-user gave Janet a heavy scowl. "But for now, the last thing we need to do is to do anything that would help prove Hill right. So do me a favor and don't start roaming around, picking fights with a few leftover Hydra goons just for kicks!"

Groaning heavily, Jan leaned over the sofa and folded her arms beneath her. "Ugh...I figured that SHIELD was too dramatic for my tastes, but this...!"

"Yeah, well, it's not like it's a big surprise!" Clint grumbled, thinking of his own stint with SHIELD. "Maria's always been a major control freak. She lays down the law, and anybody that don't like what she says is the bad guy. If you're not _for _SHIELD, you're _against_ it. And so on, so forth, yada yada yada..." Shaking his head in memory of some of the things he had had to deal with back then, he then grumbled, "At least when Fury was around, he was able to keep her from doing anything _too _stupid, but with him gone - aw, _man!"_

"What?" Janet started, her eyes going wide with alarm. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Clint responded sourly as he sat back on the sofa. "Just that the game just ended, and I missed the winning run."

Ignoring the incredulous stares this garnered him, Clint glowered at the TV screen as the commentators started yammering about the spectacular grand slam home-run he had been too distracted to see for himself. "Just catch the instant replay or something, Clint," Tony muttered sourly. "And Jan, no offense, but if you and Hulk want some excitement, fine! But don't go around picking fights we don't need. I don't want to end up giving SHIELD anything they can use against us, not until I've got something in place to head them off."

While Steve asked what Tony had in mind, Clint looked up at Janet and Hulk. "Well, that takes care of that," he commented in a what-can-you-do manner. "It's too bad, too. I know I wouldn't mind busting up a few Hydra creeps."

"Tell me about it," Janet muttered, rolling her eyes in response. "Oh, well. I guess we could always try tracking down a few supervillains instead..."

"You know, in my day, we _did _have ways of entertaining ourselves that _didn't _involve looking for a fight," Steve commented in an offhand fashion. "And there are quite a few ways to distract one's self right here in the mansion."

As one, Clint, Janet, and Hulk looked at the Super Soldier, who simply sat there and looked right back at them. "Well, boys," the lone female began, glancing about at them, "any ideas?"

"No swimming," Hulk rumbled unhappily. "Not after what happened last time."

Wincing at the memory of that incident, as well as the Hulk's understandable anger at being left behind in a frozen pool, Clint looked up at the TV screen. "Well, we could always see if there's anything decent on," he decided, not having any better ideas. "Hey, old man, mind changing the channel?"

"In a moment," Steve replied, holding up the remote and pressing a button. "I'm still trying to get the hang of these things."

"Well, you could always try passing it to someone who knows how it works," Clint immediately countered, rolling his eyes as he wondered how the heck even a man out of time couldn't figure out how to work something as simple as a remote control.

As Steve responded by giving the archer look, as if wondering just how incompetent Clint thought he was, a voice from the television caught his attention. "...and this just in," spoke an anchorman of what was obviously a news program. "We have a breaking story from the Los Angeles. Less than an hour ago, a young woman was nearly killed when what police believe to be a car bomb detonated."

"Ugh. Hurry up and change the channel, Steve," Janet muttered unhappily. "It's bad enough I know that there are all kinds of jerks in the world. I don't need to be reminded of it every other second."

Knowing what Janet meant, of how hard it was to do the things that they did, and no matter how hard they fought, to be confronted with the fact that there were always more creeps and thugs and lowlifes out there, Clint was about to stand and grab the remote when the news program went to their on-the-scene reporter. "Thank you, Vance," the reporter began, looking harried and hurried. "The prosecution against reputed Los Angles mobster Nicholas Trask was dealt a heavy blow when local lawyer Jennifer Walters was severely injured in a..."

_"What?"_

Very nearly jumping out of his seat at the bolt of thunder shaped in a to single word, one that shot through his brain like a hot knife through butter, Clint gaped as he looked back to see Janet teetering off-balance with a hand to her ear. Tony and Pepper had fallen out of their seats, and even Steve was stunned as he looked at the Hulk. Nor could Clint blame him for that when the former SHIELD agent looked at the green goliath's face.

Clint had been around the Hulk long enough to know that he didn't always wear the exact same scowl on his face. He had his moods, just like everybody else, even if the vast majority of those moods revolved around anger. But anger wasn't the emotion the archer saw in the jade giant's face at that moment.

It was fear. And shock. And horror and a host of several other emotions all blurred together into single quagmire that left Hulk's mouth hanging open, his eyes wide and filled with dread as the reporter continued, "...though Ms. Walters wasn't in her car at the time of the detonation, she was still severely injured by the ensuing shrapnel and fire. Fortunately, several bystanders witnessed the explosion, and called for EMS units to be sent." Letting this sink in, the reporter frowned before adding, "Ms. Walters was admitted to Parkview Medical in downtown Los Angeles, where she remains in critical condition."

"No..." Hulk moaned, his eyes growing even wider as he stumbled towards the TV. "No...it can't be...!"

Blinking a few times, Clint just stared stupefied as the green goliath stood transfixed in front of the TV. Tony just sat on the floor, wondering, "What's with him?"

_You got me!_ Clint thought as he sat there, utterly dumbstruck.

"Police were reluctant to issue an official statement regarding the explosion, though the officer in charge would not rule out the possibility of foul play," the reporter went on. "According to Ms. Walters' associates, she has been working with local prosecution to build a case against Nicholas Trask, a local businessman reputed to have extensive mob connections. Word has it that she had recently acquired crucial evidence proving Trask to be guilty of racketeering, and possibly murder."

"Whew," Janet whistled lowly. "Sounds like a serious creep."

"No kidding," Clint muttered, despite his focus being elsewhere.

"Doctors at Parkview Medical are presently fighting to save Ms. Walters' life," the reporter went on. "However, everything we've heard thus far seems to indicate that they are fighting a losing battle."

"No...!" Hulk gasped, his voice low and menacing like a rumbling that proceeded a full-on earthquake. Then, before the eyes of everyone present, the green goliath's body shook with such tremendous hatred and rage that it seemed to crack the very air about him. _"Nooooo!"_ Instinctively covering his ears, Clint watched as the Hulk drove his fists into the wall, the plaster and concrete giving way to the gamma-reinforced hands like it was putty. Snarling pure hatred and rage on a level that Clint had never heard before, he tore the television out of the wall, and in one swift motion, slammed it down on the floor, pulverizing the delicate electronic device immediately. Startled by the sheer force of the blow, Janet fell to the floor while Steve leapt back, his training coming into play as he effortlessly landed on his feet a safe distance away. As for Clint, all he could do is sit there, confused as he watched the Hulk continue to pound away at the floor, snarling, "_No, no, noooooo!"_

"Hulk, what do you think you're _doing?"_ Tony shouted, his already-frayed nerves failing him at the sight of his property being mangled. He stepped towards the furious gamma mutant, who glanced his way. "What the heck is - _ack!"_

Clint never even saw the Hulk move. One moment, he had paused in the midst of his smashing, his furious green irises focused on Tony. The next, one of his monstrously huge hands was wrapped about the billionaire's frame. Standing up to his full height, the green goliath hefted Tony up so that they were face-to-face, barely a couple inches from each other. "Give me a Quinjet!" Hulk roared, his voice cracking the air again. _"Now!"_

Blinking a few times, Tony simply hung in the jade giant's hand for a moment before angrily countering, "Look, first of all, I don't know what's going on with you! And second, you think I'm going to hand over a Quinjet after you just -!"

_"NOW!"_ Hulk roared even more furiously, Tony's face and hair rippling in the wash of his wrathful exclamation.

Not liking the look of this, Clint automatically started reaching for his Avengers ID card. _I always said that the Hulk was a bomb waiting to go off!_ he thought worriedly, well aware that no one present was equipped for combat. _But I never thought that he'd go off like this!_

Even as he was about to pull out his card, hoping that Thor could get to them within the next thirty seconds or so, Janet was rushing up to the furious titan's side. "Hulk, what are you doing? What's wrong?" she asked, completely without fear of a man that could wad her up into a hacky sack. _"Hulk!"_

While Hulk was glancing down at her, the rage in his eyes deepening the pit in Clint's stomach and making him wish that he had his bow and arrows on him at all times, Steve looked from the shattered TV to the angry gamma mutant. "That woman...Jennifer Walters," Steve gathered, speaking carefully. Trying to avoid prompting the Hulk into doing something dangerous with Tony in his hand. "You know her, don't you?"

Glancing back at Steve, Janet then looked back at the Hulk. "Is that it?" she asked worriedly. When the green goliath didn't answer, she gently placed her hands to his side. "Hulk, please, talk to me! That woman...who is she?" Cocking her head to the side, she then asked, "I-is Jennifer a friend of yours or something?"

For a long time, the Hulk just stood there, trembling with unspent rage as he stared down at her. But then, so slowly that Clint barely noticed it at first, the rage in his eyes began to fade, leaving in its place a deep sorrow and longing. Without warning, the Hulk slumped forward, falling to one knee as he released Tony to fall to the floor. While the head of Stark International was issuing a pained squawk, the jade giant lowered his face. "Friend. Family. Confidant. Soul mate," he issued lowly, such sadness in words that no one could have missed it. "The tree house duo. Her and me, against the world. A childhood pact," he continued, his words nonsensical. Drawn from an unseen past that only he could perceive. "She's all of that...and more."

With that, Hulk looked up, his eyes focusing on Janet. Allowing everyone else to look into them, and see the anguish that seethed within him even as he said, "She's my cousin."

The silence that fell in the wake of these words was deafening. And it fell upon everybody in that room like the SHIELD helicarrier, leaving them struck speechless for a seeming eternity.

"C-cousin?" Clint sputtered when his capacity for speech slowly returned. "Wait a sec - you mean - _you _have a _cousin?"_

This incredulous question immediately rekindled the anger the Hulk was so well known. "Yeah, that's right! My _cousin!"_ Somehow managing to ask if Clint had a problem with that without actually doing so, the green goliath then swung his furious gaze back at Tony. "Now, are you gonna give me a Quinjet, or am I gonna have to beat one out of you?"

"Whoa, hold on, Hulk!" Janet spoke, her words still gentle but with enough force to draw the angry titan's attention. "We're all want to help you! There's no need to threaten anybody!" Then she narrowed her eyes at Tony, and even more sternly said, "Isn't that right?"

Taking note of the glance, as well as the fact that he had half a ton of furious Hulk glaring at him, one wrong word away from exploding, Tony hesitated before folding his arms across his chest. "Sorry, Hulk. But cousin or not, I'm not about to let you go joyriding in a Quinjet all by yourself."

_Oh, man! For a genius, Stark, that was probably the dumbest thing you could have possibly said!_ Clint thought as fresh anger twisted the Hulk's features, making him look more and more like something that had popped out of a nightmare or three. _We're going to be cleaning you off the walls for weeks!_

As Hulk took a step closer to Tony, the self-assured billionaire just smiled before adding, "Which is why we're _all _going with you." Pausing in mid-step, the green goliath just stood there, his anger shifting to confusion, prompting Tony to smile and look towards a computer terminal embedded in the wall. "JARVIS, I want a Quinjet ready for launch immediately."

"Very good, sir," answered Tony's personal AI.

"Right. And be sure to have the AEMU-1616 loaded onboard while you're at it," Tony added almost as an afterthought.

"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied without missing a beat. "Activating loader units now. The AEMU-1616 will be loaded and ready in approximately two minutes, fifty-six seconds."

"Great. That gives us just enough time to get suited up and ready to head on out," Tony answered with a smile. Then he turned towards Hulk, and explained, "The AEMU-1616 is an automated emergency medical system I developed. It's like a miniature, self-contained hospital that can be readily transported anywhere in the world, and its equipped with the most advanced medical technology on the planet."

"What?" Hulk started, clearly surprised by this. "You...you mean...?"

"I mean that we're not going to sit back and watch as one of our people tries to deal with something like this on his own," Tony explained with a ready smile. "Besides, unless I didn't hear that story correctly, there's a good chance that this Trask guy is behind what happened to your cousin. Which means that we need to make sure that he doesn't get a second chance at her."

Even as Steve and Janet were making expressions of relief and approval, Pepper was frowning her concern. "Excuse me, Tony, but...didn't you say you didn't want to give SHIELD anything they can use against us?"

"That's right," Tony confirmed. "Which is why we're going to have to be very careful once we get to LA." Then he looked over at the computer terminal. "JARVIS, get me all available information regarding the location and condition of Jennifer Walters."

"Very well, sir," JARVIS answered.

"Send the location of the hospital she's at to the Quinjet," Tony continued as he started off towards the hallways. "And contact Hank, Panther and Thor. Let them know the situation." As JARVIS acknowledged this command, the playboy glanced back at his fellow Avengers. "Well, what are you all waiting for, people? Let's get moving!"

Double-stunned by this, Clint could only stand there and watch as Steve darted off, presumably to get dressed and ready to depart. As he realized that it might be a good idea if he did the same, Janet smiled as best as she could. "It'll be alright, Hulk," she told him even as she placed her delicate hands about the jade giant's monstrous hand. "I promise, we'll do everything we can for you...and for Jennifer."

Meeting her gaze, the Hulk slowly replied with a tiny, worn smile. While Clint just turned and started towards his room. _I don't believe this,_ he thought slowly. _Hulk...has a cousin?_

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: I must say, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is likely one of the best cartoons to be produced in recent times, and it looks to be getting even better. And so, since I'm gummed up on some of my other stories and had some inspiration, I decided to take that inspiration and put it into words. Please, read and review! And check out my other stories if you like.<p> 


	2. Problematic Salvation

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 2: Problematic Salvation

"I don't believe this," Hank Pym commented as he followed Janet to the hanger. " Hulk...has a _cousin?"_

"Looks that way," Janet confirmed as she marched onward, clad in her Wasp costume. "And why is it so surprising? I mean, just about _everybody _has a cousin, right?"

"Well, yes, I know that," Hank responded a bit sheepishly. "But...it's just that he never mentioned having a cousin, or any other kind of family, for that matter!"

"I know that, Hank! But it doesn't matter whether or not he's mentioned it!" Janet countered. "What matters is that, right now, Hulk needs our help! So let's get moving already!"

Sighing at the forceful manner in which Janet spoke, Hank thought of the fascinating experiment this latest emergency had forced him to abandon before accelerating enough to match Janet's pace. Before long, the two costumed Avengers reached the hanger, where one of the Quinjets was ready and waiting. Next to it, Iron Man was supervising a pair of loader robots were working, carrying a large piece of equipment that Hank didn't recognize into the super-advanced aerial transport.

"That's right, you dummies! Keep moving, and be _careful!"_ Iron Man demanded the pair of clumsy-looking robots. "That's a highly sensitive piece of precision machinery you're lugging about! And I want to make sure it stays in one piece!"

"Hey, Tony!" Janet called out as she rushed up towards him. "Are we just about ready to go?"

"Almost. The AEMU-1616 is already onboard, but I decided to pack some extra support equipment, just in case," Iron Man, his concerned voice distorted by his armor's speakers. "JARVIS managed to track down the hospital where Jennifer is at, as well as some information on her current condition. And things aren't looking good for her." Lowering his eyes somewhat, he hesitated before saying, "You better get onboard. The sooner we leave, the better."

"Right," Janet nodded quickly before starting forward. Then she paused and glanced back at Iron Man. "Uh, where's Hulk? And the others?"

"They're already onboard," Iron Man informed her. "And you better get on as well. We don't have much time."

Nodding to this, Wasp then shrank down, gossamer wings growing from her back and propelling her into the air. As the tiny woman flew into the Quinjet, Hank made his way up to the businessman with whom he had a thorny history. "So, Tony...what exactly is this stuff your bringing with us?"

"Emergency medical equipment," Iron Man replied as the loaders entered the qunijet proper. "Sort of a portable hospital I developed for transport to remote or hostile regions for emergency medical treatment."

Hank frowned as he considered this. "But, Jan told me that Hulk's cousin was already at a hospital," he replied perplexedly. "Why do we need additional medical -?"

"Because the hospital Jennifer is at is a collection of _antiques_, Hank!" Iron Man countered with a bit more heat. "The information JARVIS got me says that their equipment is totally obsolete compared to what we have here. And according to the data on Jennfier's condition, if she is going to have any kind of chance, then we're going to need all the best tech we have. Now, c'mon!"

Without another word, Iron Man started into the Quinjet, and after a moment's thought, Hank followed him. _And if this medical technology of yours is so great, why aren't you making it available to everyone?_ he wondered silently as he entered the supersonic transport, the gangway closing behind him. _Is it because it'd be too difficult, or there just wouldn't be enough money in it?_

Frowning at this negative thought, Hank shoved it to the side before making his way to the passenger compartment. For while he knew that Tony was genuinely trying to make amends for his checkered past and his money-grubbing ways, there was no doubt that he wasn't doing that great of a job of it. His ego and self-absorbed attitude still caused problems on more than one occasion, with the disaster involving Simon Williams sticking out prominently in Hank's mind. _I know he isn't intentionally making messes anymore,_ he thought somberly. _But that doesn't mean he can't make a big mess out of this. And on more than one level._

Despite the amount of time Hank spent in the lab, when he had heard of Maria Hill's desire to make good on her vow to have the Avengers registered and made to work for SHIELD, he had kept his proverbial ear to the ground, as well as keeping aware of how Tony was monitoring her efforts to make this a reality. _And after what SHIELD did with Graviton, the last thing I want to is to be stuck working for them._

Frowning at the thought of all his scientific research being twisted to SHIELD's content, Hank boarded the Quinjet, only to be brought back to the present by a contemptuous snarl. "About time you made it," the Hulk growled, his emerald irises seemingly ablaze with barely constrained rage. "Too busy playing with stupid bugs to come out into the real world?"

Stung by the comment, Hank required a moment to put it to the side as well. _This is Hulk's cousin, after all. He's bound to be upset - well, more upset than usual,_ he thought as he took his seat. Then he glanced over at where Wasp sat, and frowned sadly. _I know how I'd be if it were Jan who was hurt..._

After another minute, the medical equipment was secured in the cargo section of the Quinjet, and the final preflight checks had been completed. The familiar launch sequence began with the high-tech shuttle being lowered into the water. With a powerful roar of its engines, the Quinjet launched itself out the gate that led to the East River before erupting into the air near the Brooklyn Bridge. "Plotting course for Parkview Medical in Los Angeles," Iron Man announced as he guided the Quinjet ever higher into the sky. "And by using an orbital launch and re-entry, we can be there in just over fifteen minutes, all without setting off enough sonic booms to flatten a dozen cities along the way."

Which was a lot faster than any conventional car or airplane could possibly get them to where they were going, Hank knew. Far faster than the Hulk could have gotten to Los Angeles on his own power. But as he looked at the emerald figure, his arms folded across his chest and his face awash with unspent fury and concern, he knew that that time must seem like an eternity to him.

Even as Hank thought this, prompting him to consider what could be done to pass the time until they reached their goal, Janet apparently had the same idea, and acted on it. "So...anyway, Hulk...what's she like?" After a moment's hesitation, Hulk looked at Wasp, looking at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "Your cousin. Jennifer," she clarified. "What's she like?"

A soft growl rumbling in his throat, Hulk lowered his eyes, and was silent for a time. "She's...uh...I guess you could say she's...an ordinary girl," he rumbled, as if unsure what else to say. "She's...well, kinda like you, actually."

This caught Hank by surprise, and it was clear that he wasn't the only one. "What?" Wasp started, gesturing at herself. "Seriously?"

Hulk nodded somberly. "Even when she was a kid, no matter how bad things got, she always seemed to be...enjoying life," he explained in a low voice, one filled with memories. "She was always so kind...not just to me, but...everyone."

"So, in other words, not much of a family resemblance, huh?" Clint joked as he lounged back in his chair.

Pausing to shoot the archer a killing glare, Jan returned her attention to the morose gamma mutant. "So, uh, anyway...just out of curiosity...why did she become a lawyer, anyway?"

This garnered a wry snort from Hulk. "Because she wanted to stop bad guys."

"Well, that's different," Iron Man commented idly. "Most people who say that generally join the police or the military."

"Yeah, I know. I - Banner - asked her about that once," Hulk rumbled with a slight smile. "She said that it didn't do any good for the police to catch crooks if they just got slick lawyers to bail them out. So she figured that if a slick lawyer could get bad guys out of prison, then another slick lawyer could keep them in there." Memories of better times seeming to float before the green goliath's eyes, he then sighed before going on, "She's a defense lawyer, but she's always made a point of working with the local prosecutors to help them nail real crooks. And she's always made it a policy never to defend someone unless she honestly believed they didn't do whatever it was that they supposedly did."

"Sounds like a great person to have as a cousin," Wasp commented, her voice filled with sympathy. "Have you...seen her lately?"

"No," Hulk abruptly told her, his scowl returning in force. "I haven't been by her place in a couple years now."

"Why not?" Wasp asked, clearly surprised by this.

"Because I didn't want to bring any more trouble into her life," Hulk answered in a flat, angry tone. "Every time me or Banner was anywhere near Los Angeles, Ross and the Hulkbusters would show up on her doorstep, demanding that she tell them where I was." His narrowed into tiny points of furious green light at this. "The last time I saw her, Ross had shown up before Banner did, and..."

"Uh-oh. I got a bad feeling I know how that went," Clint chimed in, his voice rueful. "When your cousin told Ross or his people that she hadn't seen you and that she didn't know where you were, he didn't take it too well. Did he?"

Nodding as a low, hate-filled growl echoed in his throat, Hulk clenched his fists. "I...Banner...didn't want to get close. Wanted to be able to see her...without being seen. Just wanted to check on her, see how she was doing." A beat passed as the green goliath's eyes flashed a brighter green. "And when he did...he saw that she had been beaten. Badly," he snarled, the anger of that moment carrying through. "Her entire body was bruised and bandaged up. She could barely move after what they did to her."

A few hushed gasps rose up at this, while Captain America scowled. "Ross allowed this sort of behavior in his men?" the Super Soldier demanded, his disgust clear. "If that's so, then he doesn't deserve to be a soldier of any rank, let alone a General. How could his superiors allow him to get away with that kind of thing?"

"Probably because they didn't care what he did, as long as he managed to bring home a certain not-so-jolly green giant," Clint commented. "Me and the Black Widow had a nasty run-in with Ross once. He nearly got us and Bobbi killed trying to bring down Jade Jaws before we could. Trust me when I say that mental stability is _not _one of his strong suits." Letting this sink in, the former SHIELD agent then asked, "So, I'm guessing that, whatever happened next, it just made things go from bad to worse."

"That's one way of saying it," Hulk rumbled. "Ross figured that Banner would try and make contact with Jennifer if he were nearby, so he had some of his people laying in wait. As soon as he tried to talk to her, find out what happened, the entire area was filled with Hulkbusters." His scowl deepening even more, the green goliath hesitated before adding, "I...barely got her out of there alive." Wasp let out an audible gasp of sympathy, while the other Avengers save for Iron Man just sat there, studying the tormented beast-man. "The last time I saw her, she warned me that Ross had arranged for a permanent wiretap on all her phone lines, and that she was being watched every day, just in case I showed up. She told me that...she loved us. Both of us...before saying that we had to get away before Ross came tried to hurt us again."

"Hulk..." Wasp murmured, tears welling up in her eyes.

"She...she wasn't even concerned about what he had done to her!" Hulk got out, his voice caught between a snarl and a moan. "All she could think about was the both of us! And now -!"

"Hey, don't panic, Hulk. We'll deal with this," Iron Man spoke up, glancing back at the rest of them. "We're just a couple minutes away from the hospital. And I promise you right here and now, we'll do everything to help your cousin." Then he swung his gaze forward again, muttering lowly, "I'm not going to sit back and let someone else's life be destroyed. Not this time."

Glancing up the armored Avenger, Hank frowned in thought. _I just hope that you really _have _learned from what happened last time,_ he thought worriedly. _There's a lot that can go wrong with a situation like this._

Apparently thinking the same thing, Hawkeye commented, "Uh, you know, the last thing I want to do is rain on anybody's parade, but there seems to be one nasty little detail that nobody seems to be thinking of." As several eyes swung in his direction, the former SHIELD agent explained, "If Ross knows about Jennifer and Hulk being cousins and all, doesn't that mean there's a chance that he might be waiting for us with open arms?"

The heavy silence that fell in the wake of these words was all Hank needed to be certain that no one had thought of this knotty problem. "Hey, c'mon, Hawkeye!" Janet immediately protested. "I know this Ross guy is a fruitcake, but we haven't seen hide or hair of him since Hulk came back! What makes you think he'll try something now?"

"Because Fury was the guy who was keeping his hide and hairs out of our faces!" Hawkeye retorted in a sour fashion.

A beat passed before Iron Man admitted, "Hawkeye's got a point, Jan. Fury wanted us to succeed, if only because he wanted to be able to use when he saw fit. So when the Avengers first started, he agreed to give us some background support." Sounding as if he were mentally kicking himself for not thinking of this himself, he then added, "And one of the ways he did this was by making sure that certain...problems we had disappeared."

"You mean like...keeping the Hulkbusters off our backs?" Wasp gathered, sounding somewhat surprised.

"Well, basically, he said that we wouldn't be able to round up supervillains if we had to deal with the military at the same time," Iron Man admitted. "So, as long as Hulk was with us..."

"Hmph. So _that's_ why I haven't seen Ross in a while," Hulk rumbled irritably. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that SHIELD would be playing their games."

Looking over at green goliath, Captain America firmly stated, "Fury was only trying to keep you from being hounded, Hulk."

"For his own reasons. Not out of the goodness of his heart," Hulk muttered bitterly. "Big difference. And with him out of the picture -"

"Now, now, wait a minute!" Wasp broke in, looking somewhat alarmed as she glanced about at her fellow Avengers. "Aren't we kinda leaping to conclusions? I mean, what do you think's gonna happen? That Maria is gonna sic this Ross guy on us just to make our lives difficult?" Pausing to await a response, the lone female Avenger looked even more concerned when she did not get one. "Okay, sure, she doesn't like us! She wants control of us! But she has to know what a nutjob Ross is! Do you really think she's gonna -?"

"What? Let him start a firefight right outside a hospital in the middle of Los Angeles?" Hawkeye concluded irritably. "She totally ignored Hydra's and AIM's little war over New York to try and force us into working for her, and when _that_ didn't work, she tried to have us blasted by the helicarrier! If she thinks us getting harassed by the Hulkbusters would help convince us to join SHIELD, then I'd bet money on her doing it!"

Before Hank could remind him that SHIELD hadn't totally ignored that conflict, Iron Man snorted, "I don't think anybody here would be dumb enough to take _that _bet." Not waiting for anyone to disagree with him, he then ordered, "JARVIS, get me satellite surveillance of the Los Angeles area. Focus on Parkview Medical and everything within a ten mile radius of it. Scan for anything that might indicate the presence of military or Hulkbuster personnel."

"Very well, sir," JARVIS promptly answered.

"I don't care if Ross is there," Hulk rumbled menacingly. "We _have _to get to Jennifer."

"We realize that, Hulk," Captain America assured him. "But if he _is _there, then we don't want to risk starting a major battle that will put many innocent lives in danger. Including your cousin's."

As Hulk struggled to digest this statement, JARVIS announced, "Satellite scans show nothing that would indicate the presence of any military or Hulkbuster units within the Los Angeles area, sir."

Letting out a low sigh at this, Hank commented, "Well, it's about time we had some good news today."

"Maybe, but after we get there, we should probably take a few precautions," Iron Man muttered sourly. "Just in case that changes."

"Agreed," Captain America nodded even as Iron Man guided the Quinjet back down towards the Earth.

As the ultrasonic transport descended through the various cloud banks, Hank couldn't help but frown with concern. "I don't suppose there's any chance that we can actually manage to _avoid_ violence for once?" he asked in a wearied voice. "You know, just for a change of pace?"

"Trust me, Hank, I would be more than happy to _not_ wind up turning Los Angeles into a battlefield," Iron Man stated. "I'll consider myself lucky if we can get in and out of LA without a single punch being thrown."

"Speak for yourself, Stark," Hulk growled, his voice rife with menace.

Letting out a low sigh, Hank leaned towards his window, watching with disinterest as the Quinjet plunged through the layers of clouds as it descended towards Los Angeles. _That's just what I was afraid of,_ he thought somberly, knowing full well how aggressive his teammates were.

Iron Man didn't want a fight this time. Not with the Avengers' presently tenuous situation with SHIELD and its current director. Even if he preferred to handle his problems by blasting them, he didn't want a situation that could be turned against them, especially if it could potentially result in the entirety of Stark Industries' technology being placed under the control of SHIELD. Captain America likely didn't want a fight, either. Though a soldier, always ready for a battle, he didn't actively seek conflict. He would fight if he had to, but only if he had to. The other Avengers present, however, were a different matter.

Hulk was basically the personification of violence. Ever since his genesis, he had been tossed into one battle after another, with the US military and SHIELD constantly tormenting him. Not only did he not bother trying to find alternatives to violence, he didn't want another solution. He was perfectly happy smashing his way through a conflict, no matter what happened. He enjoyed it. It was one of the few things he actually _did _enjoy. And the current situation with his cousin would likely make him that much more eager to lash out. Even if they were able to help his cousin without interference from the military, Hank had no doubt that Hulk would not wish to leave until he had tracked down the people responsible for it and made them suffer for it.

_Not that I can blame him for that, but...we already embrace violence too readily,_ Hank thought somberly, turning his eyes towards his other two teammates that were present. _And not just Hulk, either. _

Like Hulk, Hawkeye was likewise uninterested in ever attempting to find a peaceful solution. He clearly enjoyed fighting every bit as much as Hulk did, and was almost as quick to anger. And as for Wasp...

_I just don't understand. I thought she would have given this madness up by now,_ Hank thought as he studied her. _I mean...I designed our costumes and powers so we could protect ourselves when working in potentially dangerous locations, but that was it! I thought that she would realize that it wasn't practical for us to be trying to fight these kinds of battles and give it up! That she'd come to understand that _science _is the best way for us to help people, not fighting! But it seems like she gets more sucked into this way of life every single day!_

And to make matters worse, no matter how banged up she got fighting people that needed rehabilitation, not violence, no matter how dangerous the situations got, Janet seemed to love every moment of it all.

_Why is it so easy for them to embrace violence? To enjoy it?_ Hank wondered not for the first time. _Why am I the only one who can see there are better ways of doing things? That all we'd have to do is set aside our differences to work for the common good, and we could make the entire world so much better than it is now? That all this fighting accomplishes nothing?_

As was usual, the answers eluded Hank. And so he was forced to return to the moment when Iron Man announced, "We're making our final approach to Los Angeles, people. We'll be at the hospital in less than a minute."

"Any idea where you're going to land?" Hawkeye wondered. "I'm pretty sure hospital parking lots aren't built for high-tech shuttles."

"Anywhere I can find a parking spot," Iron Man replied immediately. "And if anybody doesn't like it, they can bill me."

"Wow. Must be nice to be rich," Hawkeye replied in a snippy manner.

"Well, it comes in handy. You know, every now and again," Iron Man easily responded. "Okay, I can see the hospital now, and...oh, no."

Everybody tensed at this utterance, with Captain America asking, "What is it, soldier?"

"Brace yourselves, people," Iron Man announced in a foreboding manner. "Looks like we've got a welcoming committee."

"Wha- hey!" Wasp cried out in a mix of alarm and irritation. "I thought you said that there weren't any Hulkbusters here!"

"It's not the Hulkbusters, Jan," Iron Man replied in a low voice. "It's something worse."

"What is it?" Hank wondered, the Avengers' past exploits giving his imagination plenty of fuel. "SHIELD? The Masters of Evil?"

"Even worse," Iron Man groaned as he guided the Quinjet in. "Reporters. Lots and _lots _of reporters..."

* * *

><p>As Iron Man carefully landed the Quinjet in the hospital parking lot, thanking any of Thor's kin who happened to be looking over them and insuring that there was enough space to safely land the aerial shuttle, he couldn't help but wonder if those same kin could have done something about the reporters that were presently heading towards them.<p>

_I guess I should've seen this coming,_ Iron Man thought as he powered down the Quinjet's engines. _Local lawyer clinging desperately to life after her car explodes, apparently because of a reputed gangster whom said lawyer could send to jail? Of _course _the local newshounds will be all over this like flies on garbage._

As the other Avengers stood and started towards the back, Hawkeye grumbled, "Swell. Like we really need the papa-ratsy making things worse."

"Yeah. If the Hulkbusters and SHIELD didn't know about us coming out this way before, they're going to be finding out really quick," Wasp muttered. "So what do we do about them?"

That was a good question, Iron Man knew. He had had quite a bit of experience in dealing with reporters in the past, both as in his heroic persona and as Tony Stark. At best, he had found them to be a nuisance that could sometimes stroke his ego, and if the reporter in question happened to be an attractive specimen of the female variety, a nice little way of passing an otherwise ho-hum evening. At worst, he found them to be a colossal annoyance, having had to shoo away more than his share from dangerous situations, and turning a delicate situation that needed to be handled quietly into a major mess. And this was a situation requiring some delicate handling, as well as a great deal of expediency.

"What do you say, Hank?" Iron Man wondered as he pressed the control for the gangway. "You're always in favor of talking to the opposition. Feel up to talking to the press?"

"After what happened with that Ultron protoype?" Ant-Man asked, shuddering at the thought. "Besides, you're the local media darling! _You _can talk to them!"

Wincing at the memory of the referenced incident, Iron Man sighed as the gangway lowered, and a surge of reporters encroached on it, microphones and cameras at the ready, dozens of questions overlapping into an incomprehensible mishmash of noise. "I know!" Wasp piped up, drawing the eyes of everyone present. "Why don't you let me handle them?"

"You sure about that, Jan?" Ant-Man wondered, his helmet unable to conceal his concern.

"Hey, I've dealt with committees, grant hearing, and a whole lot worse," Wasp fired back, and impish grin plastered on her face. "Trust me, I know exactly how to deal with these vultures. Just let me go first, and I'll get 'em to back off!"

Though he wasn't sure if that was a good idea, Iron Man didn't have any better ideas on how to deal with a foe that you weren't allowed to blast or punch. And given the lack of time, he stepped to the side, and gestured for Wasp to go ahead. "Be my guest."

Still smirking mischievously, Wasp descended the gangway, and was immediately set upon by the legion of reporters. Thrusting her microphone right in the young woman's face, the lead female reporter demanded, "Wasp, what are the Avengers doing her in Los Angeles?"

"Have the police requested your assistance in investigating Trask?" asked another.

"What is you stance on the current gang situation in LA?" came a third.

"Have the Avengers decided to establish a team here on the West Coast?" wondered a fourth.

"Hey, now _there's _a good idea!" Hawkeye commented with a broad grin.

Ignoring that, Iron Man followed Wasp at a polite distance, allowing the reporters to focus on her. Aware of the other Avengers following close behind him, he watched as their lone female member stuck two figures in her mouth and let loose a loud, piercing whistle that cut through the din of questions like a laser through butter. Wasp continued to whistle for five seconds, in which time all the reporters fell silent, with some of them covering their ears. When she finally stopped whistling, she again smiled and announced, "Good! And now that I have your attention, I'm going to make a statement! So I suggest you all listen carefully, 'cause I'm not going to repeat myself. Is that clear?"

A few reporters gave a quick nod in response. The others just stood at the ready, making sure that they didn't miss what Wasp said next.

"Fine, then." Wasp then drew herself up to her full height and started speaking. "The Avengers are here in LA on an errand of mercy. When we learned of the condition of Ms. Jennifer Walters, Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, decided to offer the use of new medical equipment he designed in Ms. Walters' treatment. As for the rest of us, we are here simply to oversee the safe transport and handling of this equipment. Is that clear?" Swinging her gaze this way and that, Wasp hesitated before asking, "Now, are there any questions?" Immediately, the horde of reporters started saying yes, and a rush of queries started flowing towards the smiling woman, who gestured at Hulk. "Okay. Then please, feel free to direct them at Hulk. I'm sure he'll be happy to explain everything."

As one, each and every reporter swung his or her eyes towards the jade giant. Who responded to this by glowering as only Hulk could.

Unsurprisingly, the reporters fell silent.

"Will that be all, then? Great!" Wasp went on, playing the role to the hilt as she advanced, effortlessly shoving aside the stunned reporters, blazing a trail for the rest of them. "Well, c'mon, guys! Are we going to do this or what?"

Blinking a few times in surprise, never before having seen a crowd of reporters so effortlessly silenced, Iron Man glanced over at Ant-Man. "Wow. That's one way to shut somebody up." Then he glanced at the valuable medical equipment they had brought with them. "Okay, dummies! Time to get to work!" he announced, using his armor to reactivate the loading robots they had brought with them. "Grab the AEMU-1616 and the rest of the gear and follow us! And be sure not to put even a scratch on any of it, or you're all getting donated to ESU when we get back. Got it?"

Heeding his word, the robots set to work on picking up the medical gear. "So, what do we do once we're inside the hospital?" Hank asked warily. "I don't think they're just going to let us barge into an emergency room or wherever it is they've got Jennifer."

"Then we'll have Hulk ask them to let us in. Very politely," Iron Man smirked, wondering if he could put the green goliath's obvious value in dealing with such people to use in negotiating better business arrangements with other companies. "I get the feeling they won't say 'no' to him."

* * *

><p>As she watched the Avengers make their way to the hospital, robots carrying what they claimed to be medical equipment being escorted by Iron Man, Sally Floyd was peripherally aware of her fellow reporters milling about, muttering amongst themselves. All of them fully aware that what had been a fairly decent story had just been turned into possible Pulitzer material.<p>

_Or at least something that will help get my career back on track. Get myself into something better than this two-bit news show I managed to hook up with,_ Sally thought, bitterly aware of the many ups and downs her life had suffered, especially in recent times. _Something big is happening. Something a lot bigger than just some mercy mission. Now I just have to find out what that is before anyone else here does._

Without hesitation, Sally started away from the mob of reporters, whom were currently returning to their stations at the hospital main entrance. Already considering the facts that she had, and trying to put them all together. _The Avengers showed up pretty quickly, all things considered, so I can safely assume that they must've came as soon as they heard about what happened to Walters. The question is; why?_

It was a good question, Sally knew. Despite the broad distances their activities took them to, the Avengers were based on the East Coast, far away from Los Angeles. Furthermore, given that they specialized in fighting supervillains and dealing with crises that even SHIELD couldn't handle, it was safe to assume that a reputed LA mobster like Trask wasn't the kind of thing that would immediately pop up on their radar. Meaning that it was likely that they weren't working with Walters on her efforts to expose Trask's reputed criminal activities.

_So if she's not connected to the Avengers on a professional level, it would have to be a personal one,_ Sally determined, nodding to herself as she reached into her coat pocket. _Friend, family, lover. Something that makes her important to one of them._

With this thought in mind, Sally pulled out her cell phone and immediately hit the speed dial. Putting the phone to her ear, she waited impatiently as it rang several times, before at last being picked up. "Hello?"

"Gary? It's me," Sally announced. "Now listen carefully, I don't have a lot of time. It looks like the Walters story just turned red hot." Pausing to glance about, making sure no one was in earshot, she then whispered, "The Avengers showed up."

"The Avengers?" Gary demanded, his voice very nearly piercing her ear.

"That's right. Now just sit back and listen," Sally instructed him. "There has to be a connection between the Avengers and Walters. Now, I'm going to try and pump the people here, see what they know. In the meantime, I need you to dig up everything you can on all of the Avengers. Find out what the connection is."

Several seconds passed before Gary replied. "Well...okay. I guess it can't hurt," he reluctantly muttered. "But if I manage to find something, you owe me lunch! Got it?"

The corner of her lip curling up, Sally replied, "If I'm right about this, Gary, then that'll be a bargain." Then she clicked her phone closed and looked back at the hospital. "And in the meantime, I better find a few doctors to charm..."

* * *

><p>"So, are you sure we're heading the right way?" Wasp wondered as the Avengers marched through the hospital. Ignoring the curious stares and whispered questions of the medical staffers passing by.<p>

"Positive," Iron Man answered, sparing a glance in her direction. "I had JARVIS pull up the layout of the hospital, as well as the room where they're working on Jennifer, and the doctors doing the work."

"Think we can convince them to let us help?" Ant-Man wondered.

"They won't have a choice," Hulk rumbled angrily as he stomped forward.

As the Avengers made their way through the hospital, Captain America kept silent, content to observe his team. In his mind, there wasn't anything else he could do in this situation.

Steve Rogers had trained to be a soldier, not a scientist or a doctor. There was nothing he or most of the other Avengers could do for Jennifer. Her life would be in the hands of doctors and Tony's machines. But he could try and be there for his friends, the people who had given him a home and a place in the strange century he was in. As well as keep them on task, making sure that what was clearly a delicate situation didn't spiral out of control.

Hulk was reining in his anger, going no faster than the machines carrying the medical devices that Iron Man had brought with them. He knew there was nothing he could personally do for his cousin, and so he denied his rage outlet. Venting it only in a minimal fashion when a nurse or orderly tried to get in their way, and then, he contented himself to spear them with a furious glower and angered growl. He knew that hurting the people here would not help Jennifer.

But he really didn't want to think about what would happen if someone refused them. Or if it turned out that they were already...

_No. Don't even go there, soldier,_ Captain America ordered himself. _She's alive until we know otherwise. If worse comes to worse, we'll deal with it then._ Then he glanced about at his teammates, noting Wasp as she kept close to Hulk, trying to project as much comfort as she could. _And we'll do it...together._

"There. Right there," Iron Man suddenly announced, pointing down the white, well-lit hallway, where there was a pair of swinging doors at the end. "That's the emergency room where they're working on Jennifer."

A loud growl sounded, and was promptly followed by the floor quaking as the Hulk rushed towards the emergency room. "Jennifer!" he cried out as he brushed past the doors. "Jennifer!"

Not even thinking about it, the remaining Avengers quickly accelerated, with Captain America certain they were all imagining the worst case scenario in this situation as they spilled into the emergency room. "Jennifer..." Hulk was heard moaning as he looked at the center of the room. At the frail figure that lay on a surgical bed, surrounded by doctors and with IVs feeding into her. "No, _no...!"_

A gasp sounding from Wasp, Captain America and the others took in the figure of Jennifer Walters. He had seen her picture, thanks to JARVIS supplying them with the needed information, so it was easy enough to recognize her by her short, brown hair and trim figure. And just as easy to be horrified at how the young woman had been brutalized.

"Oh, no...!" Wasp gasped, she and the other Avengers making similar noises of dismay as they took in the figure laying on death's door. Deep bruises and lacerations were plainly visible, despite obvious attempts to mend them, and these injuries seemed to cover her from head-to-toe. Her face was bruised and badly swollen, so much so as to be unrecognizable as the face the Super Soldier had seen in Jennifer's picture, and he was certain that even worse injuries were hidden just out of sight.

"Excuse me," came a stern voice. Looking about, Captain America watched as one of the doctors made his way up to them. "But what are you people doing here?"

"We're here to help," Wasp announced after a moment's hesitation. "We heard about what happened to Jennifer, and - we brought some new medical equipment! We..."

As Wasp's voice failed her, Ant-Man started towards the doctor. "How's Ms. Walters doing? Is she...?"

Narrowing his eyes at the pacifistic scientist, the doctor sighed and lowered his eyes somewhat, "I don't know why you people are so interested in Ms. Walters...but you might as well leave now." He gave a low sigh before glancing back at her. "It's too late to do anything for her."

Paying no attention to the stunned medics that still surrounded Jennifer, or the way some of the other Avengers reacted to this statement, Iron Man approached the doctor. "What are you talking about?" the armored Avenger demanded as he pointed at one of the odd devices littering the emergency room. "She's still alive, according to that monitor!"

As one, the Avengers looked at the curious device Iron Man indicated. And though Captain America didn't recognize the device itself, he had stopped questioning the many oddities of this strange new century he had awoken in some time back. And more importantly, he could see Jennifer's chest weakly rising and falling beneath her blanket. "She is for now, but...that won't last," he stated firmly. "She's fading quickly...I'd say that she has...an hour at best."

The sounds of Hawkeye and Ant-Man gasping and Wasp moaning in dismay filling the background, along with a tormented rumble from Hulk, Captain America frowned as he surveyed the wounds. "What's wrong? Lack of equipment?" Iron Man asked. "We have the most advanced equipment in the world right here with us, and -!"

"It's not a matter of equipment, it's a matter of _time!"_ the doctor explained, his voice low and sorrowful. "Ms. Walters is suffering from severe internal bleeding! We could repair the damage done, but she's already lost so much blood, we could never do it in time!"

"You mean she needs a transfusion?" Ant-Man gathered.

"Plasma is not enough! We need _whole_ blood!" the doctor confirmed. "Unfortunately, we don't have any in her type! No available donors! And even then, it would take _hours_ to stop the hemorrhaging!" Shaking his head sorrowfully, he then added, "Even if a donor were to show up right now, we could never get enough blood to keep her going while she's constantly bleeding out!"

Frowning at this, Ant-Man looked over at Iron Man. "Well, Tony, any ideas?"

"The AEMU-1616 _is _fitted with a bio-genic suturing probe which could stop the internal bleeding. Theoretically, anyway," Iron Man tersely reported. "But I don't have anything that could synthesize new blood!"

"So what are we supposed to do?" Hawkeye demanded incredulously. "Go roaming around, asking people if they're the right type?"

A heavy silence fell on the group. One that left them pondering this dilemma, until a possible solution appeared in Captain America's mind. "Maybe we don't have to," he suggested in a slow fashion, looking about at his fellow warriors. "Maybe we have the right blood type right here."

"What are you talking about?" the doctor wondered incredulously. "I already explained that we don't have the right blood on hand, and -!"

"No! Cap's right!" Iron Man broke in, his voice rising in his excitement. "JARVIS, bring up Jennifer's medical record and cross-reference it against the personnel files of the Avengers present! Scan for blood type compatibility!"

"Very good, sir," JARVIS responded. "Cross-referencing files."

As silence fell upon them, Wasp was heard murmuring, "Oh, please, _please...!"_ even as she clasped her hands together. The others present also wore expressions of concern, while Hulk's own face was inscrutable, impossible to read.

"Assuming we have the right blood and equipment to stop the hemorrhaging, can you do it?" Ant-Man wondered quietly. "Can you save her?"

"I...possibly," the doctor answered, clearly unwilling to commit to an answer. "But - I can't make any guarantees, I -!"

"If there's a chance, then that's enough for me," Captain America declared in a soft, determined voice. The memories of good, proud men and women he had served with during the war floating through his mind. All of them upholding the cause of justice in their own way, whether as soldiers, doctors, or technicians. So many of which had paid the ultimate price for their courage, while he had been unable to do anything to help them. "We're not going to stand by and do nothing while she slips away. Is that clear?"

While the doctor was struggling to digest this, an unhappy frown marking his face, JARVIS's voice sounded for their attention. "Scan complete, sir," the AI announced, drawing the gazes of everyone present. "Analysis of Avengers' personnel files has revealed that there is one compatible donor present."

In an instant, the tension that had wrapped about the Avengers dissipated. "Yes!" Wasp whooped, jumping into the air with a girlish grin plastered on her face.

"Aw, great!" Hawkeye enthused, pumping a fist in triumph before turning to Iron Man. "So, which one of us is the donor?"

"I am," came a low, rumbling voice. One that immediately stilled the celebration and prompted everyone present to look up at the green goliath standing behind them, an expression of weary concern lining his face.

A few seconds passed with the various Avengers staring at Hulk before Iron Man cleared his throat. "JARVIS? Is that right?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," JARVIS replied with a hint of regret. "Hulk is the only Avenger whose blood type is compatible with Ms. Walters'."

With this confirmation, the relief that they had briefly experienced faded entirely, with Hawkeye summing up their feeling by saying, "Aw...great."

"But...Hulk's blood - it's loaded with gamma energy!" Ant-Man protested. "It's highly mutagenic!"

"I know," Hulk rumbled as he stepped forward, making his way over to his cousin's side.

"There's no telling what it could do to her!" Ant-Man continued with mounting alarm. "Even in a healthy person, gamma poisoning is nothing to mess around with! And there's -!"

_"I know that!"_ Hulk bellowed, whipping about to face Ant-Man. The force of his voice alone very nearly knocking the scientist and the rest of the Avengers flat on their collective backs. "I know _all about that!_ What makes you think that I _don't?"_ The green goliath quaked with rage, his body tensing with the eagerness, the _need_ to take that fury and unleash it on someone, anyone. And for a long, terrible moment, it seemed all too likely that Hank would be that someone. But after a few moments, Hulk forced his gang to the floor before glancing back at the brutalized woman. "But...if this is Jennifer's only chance...!"

Frowning somewhat, Captain America studied the tormented figure before him, and slowly nodded. "He's right. We're not in a position to be picky," he announced before turning towards Iron Man. "Better get your machines ready, soldier."

"Right," Iron Man answered in a decidedly less-than-enthusiastic voice before looking behind him. "Okay, dummies, time to get to work! Get the AEMU-1616 and the other equipment set up and working right away." As the robots proceeded to carry out his orders, the armored Avenger turned back to the doctor. "Listen, Doctor...?"

"Ridge. Jonathon Ridge," the doctor responded. "And, I'm sorry, but...if you people are actually thinking about using that - that _monster _as a donor, then...I must refuse to help you!"

As some of the others turned angered and disbelieving scowls at Dr. Ridge, Ant-Man demanded, "But you're a doctor! Your first and foremost concern should be the life of your patient!"

"That's right. And what kind of life would that poor woman have if that - _thing's _blood turned her into another monstrosity?" Dr. Ridge demanded. "I've seen the effects of gamma energy on human beings! I _lived_ through it myself, thanks to that creature, the Leader! Better to let her die a human being than to -!"

A large, green hand wrapped about Dr. Ridge, cutting him off before he could say another word. A choked squawk of protest was all he could issue as Hulk lifted him up off the ground and slammed him into the nearest wall. "Help her!" the furious titan roared, fixing the recalcitrant doctor with his baleful emerald irises. "Help Jennifer or _Hulk smash!"_

As Hulk raised his free hand to make good on this threat, the other Avengers stood and looked on. Except for Hawkeye, who smiled cockily. "Uh, Doc, if I were you, I'd do what the big guy says." the former SHIELD agent advised. "You see, the lady you just suggested letting expire? That just happens to be the Hulk's _cousin_ there." The rest of the medical staff there was clearly surprised by this revelation, and began speaking about it in hushed voices as Dr. Ridge's face sagged, turning a pasty grey. "Now, given that to be the case, I'd strongly suggest that you...reconsider your position."

As sweat rolled down Dr. Ridge's face, his eyes flitting from Hulk's eyes to his poised fist, he sputtered a few times before answering, "W-w-well...what I m-mean is that...for such a...risky procedure...i-it would be best to have...written c-consent from...a family member...!"

"You'll have it!" Wasp chimed in before looking at the other medics present. "Well? Anybody care to get us one of those written consent thingies?"

As it happened, there were quite a few people who wanted to do so. With a chorus of 'yes, ma'ams' and other affirmatives, the remaining medical staff fled the operating room as quickly as they could. Leaving behind the Avengers with only Dr. Ridge to assist them.

Heaving a weary sigh, Ant-Man grumbled, "Nice one, Jan." Then he looked over at Iron Man and asked, "So, Stark, can your portable hospital fill in for all of them?"

A beat passed before Iron Man answered, "Looks like we're going to find out."

With that, Hawkeye marched over to Hulk's side. "So, Doc," he began, looking mockingly at Dr. Ridge, "you ready to go to work?"

"O-of course!" Dr. Ridge sputtered out, looking at Hawkeye as if he were a lifeline.

Without a word, Hulk released the doctor, letting him fall flat on his butt. Pale from his experience, Dr. Ridge shakily scrambled to his feet, heavy breath after frightened breath as he straightened himself out. "Okay, Ridge," Iron Man announced, drawing his attention. "You're the doctor here. How do we proceed?"

Blinking a few times, Dr. Ridge then swallowed loudly before saying, "The...the first thing we should do is the transfusion. We have to keep her going long enough for us to stop the internal bleeding. Then we can start working on the rest of her injuries."

"Got it," Iron Man nodded. "This is my tech, so I'll help you set up for the transfusion and the rest of it."

"Before we do that, there's something we need to discuss," Ant-Man chimed in, his voice rife with concern. "I realize that Hulk's blood is our only option, but the fact remains that the chances of something going wrong in using it are enormous." Pausing to let this sink in, he gestured at the wounded woman before continuing. "Even assuming Jennifer can withstand exposure to the gamma energy inherent to Hulk's blood, the chances of its mutagenic properties affecting her are very, _very _high! It could be as bad as the Leader's gamma dome, or possibly even worse!"

"I realize that," came another, unfamiliar voice. One that startled the Avengers present into looking towards the speaker, only for them to be even more startled when they saw it was the Hulk.

Only it wasn't the Hulk. The speaker was standing where Hulk had been, was wearing Hulk's pants. But the scrawny specimen of a man who was presently tightening the ill-fitting rags about his waist to fit better was most certainly not the Hulk. "But if I'm right, there might be a way to prevent that," the man spoke as he turned to look at them with a face that carried with it burdens and horrors best left unsaid. "We'll have to hurry, though."

A beat passed before Iron Man said, "Well, well. Dr. Banner, I presume?"

While Dr. Ridge was trying to figure out what was going on, Hawkeye commented, "I take it that you've got an idea or two on how to keep that cousin of yours from winding up like one of the Leader's little critters?"

Nodding quickly, Banner focused on Iron Man. "I read once that you developed a device capable of projecting and absorbing radiation," he spoke intently. "The multi-wave energy transponder, right?"

"Right. It was designed for treating radiation poisoning, killing off certain diseases, that sort of thing. And I _did _include one with the AEMU-1616," Iron Man confirmed. "But it wasn't designed for undoing mutations, or -!"

"I realize that, but that might not be necessary," Banner explained. "Just show me where it is. While you and the others prep Jennifer for the transfusion, I'll see what I can do with it."

A beat passed before Iron Man answered, "Hey, it's all yours."

With that, Iron Man led Banner to one of the machines the dummies had brought into the operating room. After studying them for a moment, Dr. Ridge turned to the remaining Avengers and groaned. "You people...are all crazy."

Captain America needed only a moment to counter, "Maybe, but sometimes, crazy works. Now help us get Jennifer ready. As you yourself said, we don't have much time!"

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Well, I think it's fairly obvious what's going to be happening in the near future. Still, I hope you will all read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?<p>

Needless to say, I'm doing a new take on the She-Hulk origin with this fic. One of my reasons for doing so is because, like most female comic characters, She-Hulk has been handled pretty poorly. Some writers seem to delight in demeaning her and other femmes in various ways, making them pale shadows of the male heroes and villains. So I decided to not just do a good Avengers story, but also do one that gives the ladies here, Wasp and She-Hulk, a chance to shine.

In regards to Nick Fury keeping Ross off of the Avengers back, while there is presently nothing in canon to confirm or deny this, it seems like a probably answer to why there has been no sign of the Hulkbusters while Hulk has been present with the Avengers. And since Fury offered to support the Avengers, it seems likely that him keeping Ross in check would be part of that.

This chapter was tricky to do, simply because I had to deal with all the Avengers in a situation that is very much outside their normal sphere of experience. Hulk was especially challenging to handle, given the situation. I know some people might expect him to be flying off the handle every other second. But at the same time, he knows that lashing out won't help anyone. Also, even when provoked in a non-combat situation, he only attacked the person doing the provoking when Wasp told him to. That tells me that Hulk is more able to keep himself under control than it would seem, and he would only attack someone in this case if he felt that someone was hindering the Avengers' efforts to help Jennifer. Hope that makes sense.

Now, before anybody asks, I know basically zilch about real hospital procedures and treatments, that sort of thing. I'm just faking it as I go along. I only hope that nobody minds.


	3. Enemies On All Sides

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 3: Enemies On All Sides

As Sally made her way through the hospital, making certain not to draw needless attention, she knew that she was onto something big. She could practically taste a Pulitzer as she listened to the many orderlies and nurses whispering amongst themselves.

Wondering why some of the mightiest heroes on Earth had come to this place, just to help some lawyer.

_Of course, I want to know that myself, _Sally thought as she carefully moved about. Taking great pains to avoid coming directly in view of the people moving about the area, as well as what few security cameras that were present. _And if I want to get the scoop on every other reporter camped outside this building, I have to find out what's going on, and fast!_

Unfortunately, she knew that this would be easier said than done. Sally had dealt with hospital staff while in pursuit of a hot story in the past, and they were more often than not very difficult to deal with when it came to parting with juicy tidbits of information that were crucial in putting everything together to get the whole story. Carefully explaining that the laws that governed them forbid the disclosure of information without permission from the patients, and that if they were stupid enough to break said laws, it would likely cost them their jobs, or possibly even worse.

Making matters even trickier was that the days when she could creep into the right room and grab the right file and depart as effortlessly were long gone. Computer safeguards and firewalls were employed to maintain the confidentiality, and while a hacker might be able to tease computers into giving up their secrets, Sally was no hacker.

_Still, there might be one way..._ Sally thought as she continued to slink about, looking for the one thing that might be able to help her out in this situation. Smiling broadly when she finally spotted it.

A humble, inconspicuous hospital locker room.

Casually making her way over to the door, Sally quickly scanned her surroundings, making doubly certain that no one was looking her way before ducking inside. Hoping against hope that she would find what she needed, and no one would find _her._

To her considerable relief, luck seemed to be with her thus far. The locker room was completely empty of both people and security cameras. And more importantly, several long, white lab coats were hanging a short distance away, just waiting for someone like Sally to don them.

_Perfect,_ Sally smiled as she picked up one of the coats and started putting it on. It had been her experience that people in hospitals, like police stations and so many other places, tended to pay more attention to the uniform people wore, and not the people themselves. After all, interns and orderlies and other such staff members came and went with considerable frequency, making it all about impossible for anyone to know everyone else by their face alone. So as long as she didn't attract any undue attention, that coat would give her much greater freedom of movement within the hospital. _And that's exactly what I'm going to need if I'm going to track down the room Walters is in._

Knowing that time was not her ally, Sally took the ID card that was clipped to her blouse and tucked it in pocket. Then she took a small hair band that she kept on her person as a quick way of changing her appearance and bound her locks in it. Pausing to study her appearance in a nearby mirror, she quickly straightened her hair out as best as she could, and was soon satisfied that she looked like any other overworked, underpaid hospital drone.

_Now, on to the next step,_ Sally thought as she exited the locker room, doing her best not to betray any fear or concern that she might have felt. All the while focusing on a map displaying the hospital layout she had made sure to memorize shortly after entering. _Let's see...if I remember correctly, the Emergency Rooms...this way._ Turning down the hallway, hoping that her memory was up to snuff, the reporter narrowed her eyes somewhat. _I just hope that I can find some way of getting what I need when I get there..._

Maintaining a brisk, efficient pace, Sally moved about the hospital, apparently indistinguishable from the rest of the people there. No one challenged her, no one asked to see her ID. She was every bit as faceless as she had hoped she would be. Freeing her up to focus on trying to come up with a plan.

"...you serious?" came a voice in a badly hushed whisper, one so rife with excitement that it pricked Sally's ears. "The Hulk's _cousin?"_

Pausing at these last two words, Sally turned towards the source of the voices. Two nurses were passing by, wearing twin expression of astonishment as one of them replied, "I'm totally serious! This guy with a bow, I don't know who he is, but -!"

"Hawkeye," Sally broke in, her voice loud enough to immediately draw the attention of the chatty nurses. Realizing that she was taking a calculated risk even as she started towards them, the disguised reporter shrugged helplessly with practiced ease before explaining, "I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to butt in like this, but...you were saying something about...the Avengers?"

"Who are you?" one of the nurses wondered, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Sorry. I'm Kate. Kate Winslow," Sally lied, having long since mastered the art of inventing aliases on the fly. Knowing that she had to keep speculation as to her identity to a minimum, she focused on the other nurse, the one that had been so eagerly talkative about the subject of her interest. "Now, what was that you were saying...?"

"Oh, right!" the other nurse replied, too excited by what she had to say to give a second thought to the matter. "You're not gonna believe this, Kate! You heard about the Avengers showing up here, right?"

"Who hasn't?" Sally replied in a knowing fashion, hoping to come off as bubbly and excitable as the moron who was in the midst of giving her everything she wanted.

"Well, I was in the operating room when they all just barged in on Dr. Ridge! The whole team!" Then the nurse frowned before admitting, "Well, not the _whole _team. The guy in the black cat suit and the guy with the hammer weren't there, but all the rest of them were right there!"

"Really?" Sally asked, feigning amazed ignorance as best she could. "But...why? What would the Avengers want here, anyway?"

"It's like I was telling Rita here! It turns out that Walters - you heard about Walters, right?" Sally nodded to this, not wanting to interrupt the chatty bimbo when she was on a roll. "Well, anyway, it turns out that Walters is the Hulk's _cousin!"_

Sally's eyes and mouth popped wide open, this time with genuine astonishment. "His _cousin?"_ she repeated, visions of the Pulitzer dancing about in her mind. "Are you _sure _about that?"

"Well, that's what the guy with the bow told Dr. Ridge!" the idiot went on, warming to the topic like the gossip she obviously was. "And just wait 'til you hear this! They're gonna -!"

"Clover, I'm not sure you should be talking about this," declared the other nurse, the one Sally recalled being referred to as Rita. "I mean...no offense, but...I really don't feel comfortable about disclosing confidential information like this..."

Inwardly wincing and cursing her luck that one of the pair she was dealing with actually had brain cells that worked, Sally watched as her unwitting informant countered, "Aw, it's no big deal! I bet half the people here have already about this by now!"

"Heard about what?" Sally asked, hoping that some misdirection would steer the conversation back on course. "What...is Walters...dead?"

"No, no! Nothing like that!" Clover assured her, jumping at the opportunity to show off what was on her so-called mind as Sally had hoped she would. "You see, Walters was running out of blood - we don't have any in her type - so the Avengers decide that they're gonna have to use the _Hulk's _blood to save her!"

The instant this was said, much more than a Pulitzer appeared in the mind of Sally Floyd. "You're...you're _kidding!"_ she gasped with a bit more genuine emotion than she had intended. "After what that freak, the Leader did?"

"I know! Unbelievable, isn't it?" Clover grinned eagerly.

"What's unbelievable, Clover, is that you're going around, spilling confidential information to anyone who'll stop to listen!" Rita muttered disdainfully, wrapping her arm about that of her fellow nurse.

"But -!" Clover protested.

"No! Do you have any idea the kind of trouble this can get you in?" Rita demanded. Letting this sink into Clover's so-called mind, the semi-intelligent nurse eyed Sally. "Now, listen...Kate, was it?" The incognito reporter gave a quick nod. "Do us all a favor and don't go spreading this kind of thing around. Whatever goes on in the operating room is confidential information." Glancing at her chatty companion, Rita then added, "And I hope that at least _some_ people around here still remember how important that sort of thing."

Putting on her best sympathetic face, Sally replied, "I'm sorry. I was just curious. But you don't have to worry. Because I promise you; _no one _will ever hear a word about this from Kate Winslow."

Pausing just long enough to give Sally a stern look, Rita eventually nodded. "Good. Glad to hear that," she muttered before starting away, dragging her moronic companion along. "C'mon, Clover. We've still got work to do."

Watching as the two nurses departed, Sally allowed a crafty smile to spread across her face. _That's right. Kate Winslow won't tell a soul,_ she assured them. _But soon, the entire _world _will be getting this scoop straight from the lips of Sally Floyd!_

Feeling a surge of excitement rushing through her, Sally struggled to rein herself in, trying not to look too conspicuous as she changed course, heading towards the nearest exit. Even so, it was extraordinarily hard not to think of the ramifications of such a story.

Ever since the Leader's failed attempt to transform the entire world into gamma-mutated slaves under his command, there had been an increased paranoia in people in general, and the people that had actually lived through this transformation themselves. A paranoia that had been steadily increased by inexplicable events such as the invasion by huge saucer-ships and their robotic fighters, followed by an immense snowstorm very nearly freezing the world to death, giving rise to horrific monsters in the process. A paranoia that made people wary and suspicious of any possible threat. A paranoia that was about to play into Sally's hands.

_Everybody heard about how most of the Avengers were changed by the Leader;_ Sally thought, thinking of the way this story will build and build. _When they find out that they're using the Hulk's blood on some woman...oh, the fireworks! Are the Avengers under the control of the Leader? Is this a sinister experiment to create more creatures like the Hulk? Are the Avengers attempting to give people superpowers to help swell their ranks?_

As these and other inane questions that Sally knew would be on the lips of every person who saw her impending story, she thought of the other things that went with it. Compelling human drama, life-and-death stakes, high-profile superheroes, intrigue, suspicions, rumors, and so much more.

And most importantly of all...ratings.

Just the thing Sally desperately needed to get her life and career back out of the cesspool they were presently mired in

_If this story pans out, of course,_ Sally reminded herself as she approached the exit. _I have to make sure of my facts before I go on the air. I don't want to have everyone hearing my story, only to have some moron poking holes in it later._

Thinking of reporters who had made this grievous error and wound up destroyed by it, Sally brought out her cell phone and hit the speed dial even as she exited the hospital. "Hello?"

"Gary? Sally again," she told him in a hushed voice, the very thought of messing up now inspiring caution in her. "Listen, have you found out anything connecting the Avengers and Walters?"

"Eh, not yet, Sal," Gary replied in an annoyed voice. When Sally grunted her annoyance, the researcher protested, "Hey, c'mon! Gimme a break here! Do you have _any _idea on how huge the Avengers' files are? I could spend days reading up on Stark alone!"

"Forget Tony Stark!" Sally hissed impatiently. "Focus on Bruce Banner's file!"

"Banner? As in _the Hulk?"_ Gary protested. "But why him?"

"Because, according to a little stool pigeon I found here, Jennifer Walters is his _cousin!" _Sally returned eagerly. "Now, I need you to track down something that'll confirm this! Because as soon as you do, we're going _live!"_

"His cou-?" Gary spat out, only to cut himself off, gulping as he did so. "Oh, man...uh, I'm on it, Sally! Now that I know what I'm looking for, I -!"

"Then stop talking to me and start looking!" Sally urged him desperately. Painfully aware that, even as they spoke, other reporters could well be putting together the same pieces and scooping her. "As soon as you find confirmation, call me and let me know! Got it?"

"I got it, Sally! Boy, do I ever!" Gary replied in a hushed voice.

* * *

><p>"Ant-Man," came a voice. A voice that Hank barely recognized amidst the barely controlled chaos of the Emergency Room.<p>

Turning from where Iron Man was working, coordinating with Dr. Ridge as he, Captain America, and Hawkeye set up the medical equipment they had brought with them, Hank looked at the scrawny specimen of a man who was sitting on the floor, a look of absolute concentration on his face as he gestured for him to approach. "What is it...Dr. Banner?"

"I need some help with this," Bruce replied, his demeanor completely at odds with the creature with whom he shared the same body. "Do you have any tools on you? Screwdrivers, pliers, that sort of thing?"

"Of course," Hank replied, glad to be of some use in this situation. Reaching into one of his belt compartments, he brought out a tiny box and set it on the ground. By activating one of the cybernetic controls in his suit, he caused the box to expand to its proper size. "I always keep some emergency equipment on hand. Just in case."

"Perfect," Bruce replied, not wasting any motions as he opened the case and immediately selected a powered screwdriver. "I don't want to disturb Iron Man while he's setting up the rest of the equipment."

Nodding to this, Hank watched as Bruce quickly and efficiently opened up a panel in the side of the device he was working with. A device that looked most like a gun with a large, red orb in the center of the barrel, as well as two white orbs to the sides of it. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Not really," Bruce replied, his eyes intent on the device he was working with. His slender hands nimbly working with the wires, unplugging them and plugging them back in elsewhere. "If I need anything, I'll let you know."

"Alright," Hank replied, smiling despite the situation, if only because he recognized the tone in Banner's voice. The voice of a scientist hard at work on a project, focused totally on it to the exclusion of everything else. "Listen, I...I realize that there's a lot at stake here, but I have some concerns about...what you're planning."

"As do I," Bruce replied, not stopping for a moment as he continued to work.

"So...could you tell me a bit about what you're doing?" Hank inquired in a gentle voice. Concern warring with fascination over what was obviously genius at work. "How are you...?"

"Hey!" came the sharp voice of Wasp, stinging the scientist into rigidity even as he turned to look her way. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her arms folded in front of her chest and a scowl on her face. "Bruce is working! I'm sure he doesn't have time to -!"

"That's alright, Ms. Van Dyne. This won't take long," Bruce broke in, not even bothering to look up at her. "And to answer your question, I'm reconfiguring this multi-wave energy transponder to siphon off the gamma energy from my blood, making safe to be transfused into Jennifer."

"Really?" Hank replied, frowning slightly as he considered this. "And will that be enough to keep it from harming her?"

"Assuming that it is all drained away, then yes," Bruce replied even as he brought out another device and started reworking some of the inner mechanisms of the transponder.

"What about the mutagenic elements in your blood?" Hank went on, genuinely concerned and cautious at once. "Will extracting the gamma energy be enough to counteract them?"

"No. There is no known means of reversing this level of mutation once it is made permanent," Bruce replied, still speaking in the exact same voice. "However, once the blood is drained and outside of my body, it won't have access to my gamma-based metabolism to replenish its energy levels. This will cause the mutagenic elements in it to fall dormant, preventing them from amalgamating with Jennifer's native DNA."

"Permanently?" Hank wondered, still suffering some very deep reservations about this. "I mean, I'm sorry, but..."

"No, that's alright," Bruce replied, still working away. "And to answer your question, the mutagenics will remain dormant as long as they are denied the opportunity to absorb any gamma energy. In which case, they will eventually be purged from Jennifer's physiology. Hopefully without doing any harm to her."

Making a thoughtful sound in his throat, Hank quickly considered Banner's words. Though mutagenics were not his sphere of expertise, he had worked with genetics and DNA synthesis enough to decide that his words made sense. "Perhaps," he eventually admitted. "But still, even if that works, it might be a good idea to institute supplemental treatments to insure the mutagenics remain dormant."

"Agreed. But that can wait for now," Bruce decided as he flipped a few switches. "We have to help Jennifer before we can worry about any of that."

"Exactly!" Wasp commented in a grumpy fashion. "So, uh...how much longer until the transponder-thingy is...?"

"Finished," Bruce broke in. Even as Wasp paused, her eyes bulging somewhat, the bedraggled scientist nimbly closed up one of the panels he had been working in. "Stark, is the rest of the equipment ready?"

"Almost. JARVIS is just about finished calibrating everything for the needed operations," Iron Man replied even as Banner rose to his feet, grunting somewhat as he lifted up the transponder. "How about you?"

"I've finished reconfiguring the transponder," Bruce replied as he made his way over to Iron Man and . "Now, once you've extracted a sufficient amount of blood, you'll need to completely extract the gamma energy from it before transfusing it into Jennifer."

"Right, got it," Tony replied as he accepted the transponder.

"I can't emphasize this enough, Stark," Bruce informed him, some of the Hulk's infamous scowl appearing on his face. "You have to be absolutely certain that the blood is completely cleansed of gamma energy before giving it to her. Otherwise..."

"Yeah, I know what could happen. I've been there myself," Tony assured him, his open faceplate allowing them all a good look at the horrific memories reflected in his eyes. Memories of a day when he and three other Avengers were forced to walk a mile in the Hulk's proverbial shoes. "Don't worry, Dr. Banner. We'll be careful." Looking over at the only medical doctor present, he asked, "What about you, Dr. Ridge? You good to go?"

Making a face at this, Dr. Ridge hesitated before answering, "I am...as ready as can be expected." Then he scowled before adding, "However, you must understand that one transfusion will, in all likelihood, not be enough. Your...your cousin will need more blood before we're done. More than you can give."

"Under normal circumstances, perhaps," Bruce replied, never once allowing himself to be shaken. "Ms. Van Dyne?"

"Yes?" Wasp replied, her body language making it clear that she was eager to help in any way possible.

"I need you to pick up some food for me," Banner replied, resulting in several confused looks being aimed at him. "Hulk's regenerative abilities will allow him to replenish the blood I lose quickly, but..."

"Can't do it without something to eat! Got it!" Wasp quickly nodded. "So...anything in particular?"

"Anything will do, as long as its food and there's plenty of it," Banner replied, utterly deadpan. "And make sure you can get it fast."

Giving a wan smile, Wasp replied, "Right." Turning to face the other Avengers presented, she asked, "What do you say, Hawkeye? Care to give me a hand?"

"No problem!" Hawkeye declared with a wry smile. "I like anything better than just sitting around, do nothing while the eggheads do all the work!"

Nodding to this, Wasp returned her attention to Bruce. "We'll be back as quickly as we can! Promise!" The bedraggled scientist gave the tiniest of smiles to this even as the lone female Avenger started towards the exit with Hawkeye following a short distance behind.

Pausing just long enough to watch them depart, Banner returned his attention to Iron Man and Dr. Ridge. "Shall we proceed?"

Letting go a heavy sigh, Dr. Ridge eventually answered, "We might as well. But I want it on the record that I'm going along with this only under protest."

"Frankly, I don't care why you go along with it, as long as you do it!" Iron Man informed him under no uncertain terms.

Giving him a look that made it plain what he thought of this, Dr. Ridge again sighed. "Very well. Let's begin," he muttered sourly. "Anybody who won't be actively assisting in the surgery must leave immediately."

"Right," Hank answered with a nod. Without another word, he turned towards Captain America. The living legend simply nodded, and the two of them carefully exited the emergency room.

Finding that their teammates had already disappeared in search of food, Captain America turned to fix hank with his formidable gaze. "I recommend we stay out here, and keep guard," the Super Soldier told him in a tone that made it clear that this wasn't just a suggestion. "Once it gets out who's donating the blood to Jennifer, there's every chance that other people will react to it as Dr. Ridge did. And we can't afford to take any chances of anyone interrupting the operation."

Considering this for a moment, Hank then replied, "Right, good thinking." A low sigh escaping his throat, he glanced about the hallway before them, a hallway that was presently empty. "I just hope it doesn't come to that." A brief nod was Captain America's only response to this, something that did nothing to sooth the pacifistic scientist's concerns.

* * *

><p>He was watching.<p>

Bruce could see him, just on the periphery of his vision as Iron Man requested, "Okay, Bruce, I'll need for you to lie down for me here." He could see him as the armored Avenger patted the small bed that came with his portable hospital. And he could see him as he nodded, and came up to his ally's side and lay down.

His other self. The embodiment of all his emotions. And quite possibly everything he had always wanted to be, but on some level couldn't allow himself to be.

The Hulk.

Just as Bruce could when his monstrous alter ego held control of their shared body, the Hulk was manifesting himself so that he could interact with Bruce. From the scientist's perspective, the jade giant was standing right next to where Jennifer lay, his emerald eyes narrowed with barely controlled rage. Visibly hating the fact that, at that moment, he was powerless to help their cousin.

_Don't worry. You'll get to do your part in this,_ Bruce thought, despite knowing that Hulk couldn't hear him this way. Subtly nodding at the emerald titan, giving him as much reassurance as he could without distracting the people working around him.

"We're ready, Bruce," Iron Man commented as he worked the equipment with practiced ease.

"Then proceed," Bruce answered, wanting to keep the words to a minimum. Words wouldn't accomplish anything. Only actions would be able to help Jennifer. Something that he knew his other self was also aware of.

For even as Iron Man's machines went to work, inserting needles in Bruce's arm, the Hulk scowled and glanced down at Jennifer. "We're not leaving here, Banner," he growled in a low, deadly voice. "Not until we get the guy who did this to her."

Again, Bruce nodded, in full agreement with his other self. He had already lost so many people in his life. Friends, family, what few people that he cared for, and cared for him in return. So many had suffered because of his double existence as the Hulk, an existence that had drawn so many lunatics and tyrants upon both himself and those that couldn't defend themselves. People whose only crime was to be associated with him in one way or another. And now, one of the few people that could look at either of his selves and not see a monster, treated him with kindness despite everything lay on the verge of death. Her gorgeous features mangled by one of the human monsters she had strode to put behind bars.

_I...we've already lost many others,_ Bruce thought, already aware of his physical strength being drained away with his blood. _I promise you, Jen, neither of us will leave until we know you're okay...and we've dealt with Trask._ Grief tugging at his features, the bedraggled scientist glowered his other self's glower before adding, _No matter what it takes, we will never let him hurt you again..._

* * *

><p>As Sally paced about near her news van, barely paying any attention to her crew or the other news crews that were presently camped outside the hospital, she paced about with a mounting sense of impatience. Checking her watch with increasing frequency, feeling as if ever second that ticked was being lodged in her back, spurring her impatience on even moreso.<p>

_Blast it all, Gary! What's taking you so long?_ Sally screamed within the confines of her mind. _It's been half an hour since I told you what I needed you to look for, you moron! _Prompted by this thought, she glanced down at her watch again, and confirmed this extremely depressing fact. _It's not like we have a lot of time here! I'm sitting on what could be the biggest scoop of the year, and if you don't move it, I'm gonna lose it!_

As this fearful possibility rang in her mind, Sally again glanced inside her news van. Taking in the numerous feeds they were monitoring, she scanned them carefully, her heart pounding at the fearful possibility that one of the other vultures that had descended upon this hospital was stealing her rightful prize. But as she looked at each of them, seeing nothing but idle drivel and ads, she found herself only moderately reassured.

_It's only a matter of time,_ Sally fumed helplessly. Knowing that, even as she paced about helplessly, researchers for the other news studios were pouring over all the information they had on the Avengers, searching for the connection that had brought them out to help a lawyer. And that unlike her, they likely had access to whole research teams, not just one fairly skilled Gary. _Sooner or later, they'll put it together, and then -!_

The sound of her cell phone ringing snapped Sally out of her thoughts, very nearly giving her a heart attack in the process. Gasping in shock, she reached into her pockets, fumbling about nervously before finally managing to get a solid grip and yank it out. Her hands shaking with eagerness, she flipped it open and answered. "Gary! Please tell me that's you!"

"It's me, babe!" Gary replied, prompting a surge of hope, if only because he only called her babe when he had good news. "I finally got through the Hulk's file!"

"And...?" Sally prompted him edgily.

"And it's just like you said, babe!" Gary grinned over the phone. "Jennifer Walters mother, Elaine Walters, was born Elaine _Banner! _Sister of one Brian Banner, father of Bruce! Aka, _the Hulk!"_

"And you can prove it?" Sally demanded, determined not to let a fresh wave of hope distract her from making sure that she covered all her facts. "We have documentation that can back this up?"

"All right here, babe!" Gary proclaimed with tremendous enthusiasm. "I'm looking at the documents that prove it all right here!"

Practically swooning with relief, Sally grinned eagerly. "Okay, one more thing!" she gasped out, barely able to contain herself as she glanced over at the monitors. Again seeing nothing to indicate that the other news crews had the precious information she had. "Can you tell me right now if the Hulk and Walters have the same blood type?"

"The same...?" Gary started, trailing off as he probably recognized the tone with which Sally asked this all-important question. "Uh...let me check real quick, and...yeah! Here we go!" The sound of keys being tapped was heard over the line. "Yup! Same blood type, right here!"

Heaving a sigh of tremendous relief, Sally struggled to remain on her feet. "That's just what I wanted to hear, Gary!" she breathed heavily. "I owe you lunch, dinner, and a _big _dessert for this!"

"Just make sure you remember that, babe!" Gary returned in an easy manner even as Sally closed up her phone.

"Okay, people! Let's get moving!" Sally cried out, glaring at her crew. "We're going live! As in _right now!"_

* * *

><p>"I don't believe this...!" Nicolas Trask muttered angrily as he sat at his desk, glaring at two of the incompetents that were in his employ. Incompetents who were fully aware that they had screwed up, and fully expected to be punished for it as they shifted about nervously in the center of Trask's office.<p>

Pausing to glare at them, Trask took a moment to enjoy the fear that they radiated as he glanced about his office. The plush room of power from which he ran his relatively small but growing empire, a room that was extremely plush and well-decorated, a perfect reflection for the power that he had worked so long and so hard to gather onto himself. And thus the perfect place to remind people of who held the power when it came time to give his people orders, to congratulate them for a job well done...and to punish them for their miserable failures.

"I gave you two idiots a simple task," Trask went on, speaking in a low, clear voice to emphasize their incompetence. "One of my bodyguards had suffered an...accident. The DA started poking his nose into it. So I told you to dispose of him in a clean, neat fashion. And I told you could do it in any way you wanted, just so long as it could never be traced back to me. A simple enough assignment...that you managed to completely screw up!"

Looks of alarm appearing on the faces of his incompetents, one of them protested, "But, Mr. Trask -!"

Stilling the idiot's tongue with a forceful scowl, Trask paused to pour himself a drink. "You could have done it in any way you idiots wanted. Stage a nice little traffic accident, an explosion. Something that would have the DA with nothing but a pile of ashes to look at," he muttered angrily as he took a sip of his beverage of choice. "But instead, you decide that you have to be clever about it. So you tried to frame Lou Monkton for it."

"Well...yeah, sir," one of the idiots lamely answered. "I mean, Monkton's been butting in on our operations! So, we figured we could kill two birds with one stone!"

"Yeah, a real great idea there," Trask muttered lowly. "Too bad you morons are too stupid to make something like that work!" Glaring at his underlings as they deflated, he took another sip of his drink. "So, not only do I have the DA banging on my door, but that bimbo lawyer Walters tracks down Monkton and got him to agree to testify against me!" Feel the comforting brew do its work, the slick-haired gangster continued to glare at his idiot employees. "Now, I suppose I should have fired you after making such a mess of things. But then I hear this rumor that Walters has something on me. Something that the DA is hoping that will shut me down. So when my contacts can't find out what it is, I give you another simple task. One so simple that I figure that even _you _couldn't make a mess of. Just find one woman, and kill her."

Taking another sip of his drink, Trask then casually reached for the nearby bottle to refill it. "Seriously, it doesn't get much simpler than that. After all, this is a dangerous city," he muttered in a low manner. "Stage an accident, have her run down while crossing a street, or arrange for her to bump into a street gang." Taking another sip of his drink, he then slammed the glass down on his desk. "Instead, you rig her car to blow! And you do such a lousy job of it that she doesn't even get in it!"

"But - Mr. Trask - the bomb still got her!" one of the idiots replied. "She's in the hospital right now, and -!"

"In the hospital doesn't mean _dead, _you idiot!" Trask shot back. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, you somehow managed to get the _Avengers _involved in this!" Taking an especially deep swig of his drink, the gangster again slammed his glass down and glared hatefully at his underlings. "Those heroes spend their time busting up alien invasions and bringing down supervillains, and thanks to your incompetence, they're now on _my _back! And if they manage to connect me to Walters or find out whatever it is she has on me, then _we'll _be the ones who'll be dead and buried! Do I make myself clear?" Taking another sip of his drink, Trask then muttered, "Now, I'm sure that there is _some _way this mess could get even worse, but right now, I can't think of one!"

As if responding to his tempting fate, the telephone on Trask's desk started ringing for his attention. Turning to look at the accursed object, the gangster groaned heavily. _Why do I get the feeling that I'm about to find out why I should keep my mouth shut?_ he thought as he reluctantly picked up the receiver. "Trask speaking."

"Mr. Trask! It's me, Jonny!" came the voice of one of his underlings. "Remember how you told me to keep an eye on the Walters situation?"

"Yes, I remember," Trask muttered, his voice a mix of boredom and irritation. "What about it?"

"Well, I just saw something on the news that you're not gonna like!" Jonny answered in a tense manner. "I've recorded the broadcast and I'm sending it to your computer now!"

Frowning at this, Trask was tempted to ask his underling to simply sum up whatever it was he had seen. But something in Jonny's voice was setting off alarms in his mind. For while this particular employee wasn't very useful in the field, he was extremely good at monitoring and acquiring information on Trask's behalf. And was made all the more valuable by the fact that he wasn't an alarmist. So if he was acting like this, then the news he had was not only bad, but important. "Very well," Trask finally intoned before turning his attention to his computer. With a few keystrokes, he found the newly received file. "I'll watch it. But it better be important."

"It is, sir!" Jonny assured him even as Trask hung up.

Letting his gaze linger on the phone for a brief time afterwards, Trask then looked up at the pair of bunglers that had brought this nightmare down upon his head. "Get out of my sight, you idiots!" he demanded, unwilling to bare the sight of their worthless faces any longer. "Before I make you wish you'd blown yourselves up with your own bomb!"

Realizing that their doom had been postponed, if only for a brief time, the two flunkeys quickly made good on their escape. Leaving Trask to access the video file that had just been sent to him. A moment later, he was greeted by the sight of a familiar brunette from the nightly news scene. "This is Sally Floyd of WKNN Action News with a breaking update," declared the lady in the video, looking uncommonly excited as she spoke. "I'm here live at Parkview Medical, where earlier today, local lawyer Jennifer Walters was brought for treatment after being severely injured."

_Oh, great. This lady,_ Trask thought, thoroughly unimpressed as he poured himself another drink. _Only Jonny would think to check out _her _show._

"Recently, a team of Avengers arrived at Parkview Medical, ostensibly to assist in Ms. Walters' medical treatment," Sally went on, prompting a further groan of dismay from Trask. "Since then, there has been considerable speculation as to why the Avengers would choose to involve themselves in this situation."

"You said a mouthful, lady," Trask muttered as he held up his glass.

"Just recently, however, this reporter discovered a connection between this local lawyer, and the world's most prominent team of superheroes," Sally went on, prompting Trask to narrow his eyes as he took a sip. "It would appear that family is the reason that brought the Avengers to this place. For it turns out that Jennifer Walters is cousin by blood to one of the most infamous of the Avengers; Bruce Banner, better known to the world at large as the Incredible Hulk!"

It took every ounce of willpower Trask had to keep from spraying the contents of his mouth all over his computer screen. As it was, he groaned heavily as he forced himself to swallow, consequently going into a fit of coughing as some of his beverage went down the wrong pipe. "The _Hulk?"_ the gangster spat out instead, pained wheezes tumbling from his lips as he struggled to recover. "Walters? The Hulk's _cousin?"_

"At this moment, we can only speculate as to the exact motivations behind the presence of this notorious man-monster," the recording of Sally went on, completely heedless of the fact that Trask was trying very hard not to cough up a lung. "However, we have also heard word that the strange case of Jennifer Walters is about to take a turn for the worst."

"Oh, great! How can this mess _possibly _get any worse?" Trask demanded as he took another drink.

"According to hospital staff, Ms. Walters is in dire need of a blood transfusion," Sally went on as Trask deeply imbibed of her beverage. "And so, without any of her blood type on hand, and no available donors, the Avengers have decided that they have no choice but to give her a transfusion of the Hulk's own gamma-irradiated blood."

This time, Trask was unable to restrain himself. His entire body seized with horror at this statement, he sent a gusher of his drink spraying straight and sure at his monitor, nearly knocking it off his desk in the process. _"Whaaaat?"_ the gangster shrilled, his eyes bulging with horror at the spattered monitor. _"Is this for real?"_

"At this time, it is unknown what negative effects the Hulk's blood can have on a human being, or what the Avengers are doing to prevent them from occurring," Sally went on, utterly serious. "But given the results of the Leader's attempt to mutate the population of the world, this reporter can't help but fear the worst."

As the video concluded, Trask found himself fearing the same thing. "Oh, you've _gotta_ be kidding me...!" he groaned heavily, letting his glass fall to his desk. For while he himself managed to avoid being exposed to the Leader's gamma dome, he had seen the effects it had had on people. He had seen recordings of human beings, not so different from himself, being transmogrified into snarling, mindless monstrosities who could nothing but heed the mental commands of the madman that had made them what they had become.

And now the Avengers were mucking around with the Hulk's blood? Dumping it into Walters' on the off-chance that it would save her life?

_Either they're dumb as mud, completely insane, or both!_ Trask decided, his mind already conjuring up images of the many ways this could and most likely _would _go horribly wrong. The first possibility that occurred to him was Walters turning into a mindless savage, like the Leader's creations. A mindless savage that hated him, had been trying to get evidence on him and destroy his burgeoning empire since day one, a savage that would no longer be restrained by legal red tape and the other measures he implemented to keep the law at bay. A scenario that would very likely end with him becoming little more than a bloody smear on a set of large, green knuckles.

The second scenario that he conjured up was Walters being transformed, but into something more intelligent. A thinking savage, like the Hulk supposedly was these days. A thinking savage that was basically indestructible, inhumanly strong, and hated Trask with every fiber of her being, and quite likely had a loosened grasp of her more human restraints.

The third and least likely scenario was that the blood would do absolutely nothing to Walters. In which case, she would still have access to the Avengers, including her big, green cousin, to help her deal with Trask. And while not as bad as the previous scenarios, it was still one in which he had a hard time seeing how he could come out on top.

"Arrrgh...blast those morons! Why didn't they kill her when they had the chance?" Trask groaned heavily as he massaged his now-throbbing forehead. "I swear, I'd kill them right now if I thought I wasn't doing them a favor!"

Groaning in dismay, Trask sat there for a long time, staring hatefully at the monitor, writhing in the grip of his own fury, struggling to regain control of his emotions. Trying to shove aside the horrid images his mind was spewing forth, he told himself there was no point in moaning about the bad hand he had been dealt. That he couldn't let himself fall apart like this. That he had suffered severe setbacks in the past. They had been the speed bumps that littered the path he had taken to get as far as he had gotten.

_Still...I haven't hit a speed bump that was as bad as _this _one could be!_ Trask thought sourly, driving his fingernails into forehead as he tried to think of some way of taking this disaster and spinning it into something he could escape from relatively unscathed.

Sending people after Walters now was basically out. After coming all this way and going to so much trouble, Trask was certain that the Avengers would not be stupid enough to leave her unguarded now. They would likely start searching for evidence that proved that he was behind the car bombing, probably even look for whatever it was that Walters had on him, but they wouldn't leave her unguarded. And given the people that made up that team, the chances of his men being able to get past them to take her out were bad to abysmal.

Bribing the Avengers was clearly not an option. Nor did Trask have anything he could blackmail them with, or even anything he could give them in exchange for forgetting him and going back to New York where they belonged. Which basically took care of the tried and true options of his trade.

_Which leaves me with just two possibilities,_ Trask thought distastefully. _And if one of them doesn't play out, then..._

Giving a low snort, Trask sat back and considered his telephone for a short time before finally picking it up. After hitting a familiar number, he frowned dangerously, waiting as the phone rang several times before at last being picked up. "Hello," came a familiar voice on the other end. "Dr. Kurtz speaking."

"Doctor, this is Trask speaking," the gangster spoke with heavy reluctance. "I need a progress report on the Silver Serpent."

"Oh! Mr. Trask!" his chief scientist replied in a surprised manner. "Well, uh...the Silver Serpent?"

"Yeah, that's right," Trask replied, pausing to further massage his temples. "How's it coming?"

A noise of hesitation was heard before Dr. Kurtz answered. "Well, we've finished installation of the weapons systems, as well as those extras you wanted installed," he answered somewhat uncertainly. "The programming all seems to check out, but...I would recommend at least another week of systems checks, just to make sure everything is fully functional."

"That might not be an option, Doctor," Trask informed him in a no-nonsense manner. "We have an emergency situation on our hands here. I want the Silver Serpent ready to be mobilized immediately."

"Immediately?" Dr. Kurtz repeated incredulously. "But - Mr. Trask, that's just not possible!"

"What do you mean, not possible?" Trask demanded, his reluctance shifting to anger. "Didn't you just say that this thing was basically ready?"

"The hardware and software elements are all in place, yes, but that's not the problem, sir!" Dr. Kurtz protested. "It's the reactor, sir! This will be the first time it'll have been activated! And if we try to bring to full operational capacity from a cold start, there's a very strong chance it'll overload the Silver Serpent and explode!"

Wincing at this report, Trask considered demanding that the scientist risk it anyway. That the situation they were in was just that dire. But at the same time, he knew that Dr. Kurtz wasn't stupid enough to lie to him. And that he was much better acquainted with the technologies being implemented on the gangster's behalf than Trask himself was. "Then how long do you need?"

"Three, four hours minimum," Dr. Kurtz replied in a terse manner. "We'd have to start the reactor slowly, and check the individual systems for any feedback errors as we bring it up to full capacity." Even as Trask scowled at this, the scientist added, "I'm sorry, sir. But I've only had a relatively brief amount of time to study this technology. This is the only way to avoid a potential disaster."

Growling deep in his throat, Trask considered the situation. Though not ideal, three to four hours was not nearly as bad a delay as he had been concerned it would be. So as long as he kept track of the Avengers' movements, stayed one step of them, the delay would hopefully not be critical. "Alright, Doctor. Just be sure to have it up and running as quickly as you can," he finally instructed Dr. Kurtz. "Because if my next call doesn't pan out, then the Silver Serpent will be the only thing between us and a whole lot of trouble."

Not willing to take the time to explain the exact nature of the situation, Trask pressed the button on his phone, causing it to disconnect. After a few seconds, he released it and started dialing a different number. _Okay, lady. I've earned a lot of favors from you,_ he thought sourly as he placed the receiver to his ear and waited for someone to pick up on the other end. _High time I was able to cash in on them..._

* * *

><p>As Clay Quartermain stood at attention at the helicarrier's hanger bay, he watched the SHIELD flying car that he had been sent to meet enter the confines of the bay. As the hanger doors closed behind it, the silver vehicle's wheels rotated into position for landing. Without preamble, the woman driving it stepped out, slamming the door behind her as she approached.<p>

"Welcome back, Director Hill," Quartermain greeted her, snapping off a salute.

"At ease, Quartermain," Maria replied, not even bothering to look at him as she made her way to the door.

Watching as the dark-skinned woman started down the hallway, Quartermain felt his lips curl into a slight frown as he started after her. "So, Director," he started, already getting the feeling that he knew the answer to the question he was intent on asking, "how did your meeting with the President go?"

"It didn't," Maria retorted, her voice making it clear how much of a struggle it was to rein in her frustration. "He refused to support the Superhuman Regulation Act, being of the opinion that it was not only unnecessary, but a violation of constitutional rights."

"Well, with all due respect, sir...isn't it just that?" Quartermain wondered.

Turning her formidable glare at him, Maria countered, "What are you talking about, Quartermain? This Act is of vital importance! Not just to SHIELD, but the world at large!"

"I meant the part about it being unconstitutional," Quartermain hurriedly explained. "Director, I looked at the specifics of your proposal. And as I read it, it would allow us to force anyone with any superhuman abilities, whether they were born with them or got them by accident to make those abilities public knowledge. Even enable us to force them to work for SHIELD."

"You read it correctly, Quartermain," Maria assured him in a sour manner. "Why? Do you have a problem to that?"

Realizing that he was on very dangerous ground with his new director, Quartermain hesitated before explaining, "No, but I can see how a great many people would. We'd be essentially forcing every superhuman to give up his or her right to privacy, exposing them to the world. And the Constitution -"

"The Constitution was written by people who had no idea as to the kind of technology we would have to deal with. The human monsters we would have to fight," Maria harshly broke in. "Whether or not these people were born with these abilities or got them by accident is immaterial. The powers they have make them a potential threat to the world at large. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to them." Returning her gaze to the path ahead, the Director turned to enter a nearby elevator. "If SHIELD is to protect the world from these people, we have to know exactly who they are and what they can do."

"I can see that being the case with supervillains, sir," Quartermain conceded. "But - there are bound to be many people who haven't even committed any crimes to begin with."

"What, liked these so-called superheroes that have been popping up?" Maria retorted disdainfully. "They're criminals as well, Quartermain! Vigilantes! Superpowered showboaters that are every bit as dangerous as the villains they purportedly fight!"

"But don't you think there's a difference between robbing a bank and stopping a guy who's doing the robbing?" Quartermain wondered. "Average citizens are empowered to make a citizen's arrest, after all."

"But average citizens don't have superhuman abilities. Nor do they hide who they really are behind masks," Maria effortlessly countered. "These so-called superheroes have to be made accountable for their actions. No one can be allowed to be above the law."

"I'm not saying that they should be. But still, making their identities public seems like a bad move to me," Quartermain continued. "Think about it. Maybe the reason they keep their identities a secrets is because they feel they can't reveal who they really are. I mean, take the X-Men, for example. Each and every one of them is a confirmed mutant."

"I'm aware of the public stance on mutants, Quartermain," Maria returned.

"Then you'd have to know what would happen if their identities were to be made public. They would essentially be making themselves targets for every anti-mutant bigot there is," Quartermain explained. "And then there's Spider-Man."

Furrowing her brows, Maria frowned and asked, "Who?"

"One of those vigilante superheroes in New York. Does whatever a spider can, they say," Quartermain reminded her. "From all indications, he's already earned himself enough enemies to fill one of the old supervillain prisons. What do you think those people would do the friends and family of someone like that if they every found who he really is?"

Her scowl deepening, Maria muttered, "That doesn't matter, Quartermain. What matters is that these people are dangerous. Both to themselves and everybody around them. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to see them registered, or in jail. End of story."

Watching as the current director of SHIELD pressed the button that would take them to the bridge, Quartermain couldn't help but let out a tiny sigh of disappointment. In truth, he was unsurprised by Maria's attitude. In her mind, anything that SHIELD was not in control of was dangerous, as it could be made to work for their enemies. _Still...it's not all black-and-white here,_ he couldn't help but think. _There are so many different people involved, and if she handles this thing badly..._

Even as this thought trailed off, the elevator doors opened, depositing them on the bridge. As Maria stepped into view, Quartermain announced, "Director on the bridge!"

As one, the SHIELD agents present there stood up and saluted. "At ease," Maria intoned, her voice still betraying her foul mood. "Agent Woo, has anything of interest happened while I was away?"

"You could say that, sir," replied Jimmy Woo, who was already approaching the director. "As you've ordered, we've been monitoring the activity of the Avengers and any other superhero teams that we are aware of. Earlier today, one of the Avenger's Quinjets took off for Los Angles. And more recently, we detected the Black Panther departing the Wakandan embassy, and Thor leaving Wakanda. Both of them heading for the same city."

"Why?" Maria wondered with narrowed eyes. "Has something happened out there?"

"A woman related to one of the Avengers was critically injured and sent to the hospital today, sir," Jimmy explained as he handed her a PDA. "Everything we have on the situation if right here, sir. But to bottom-line it; it looks like the woman in question...is the cousin of the Hulk."

Quartermain could feel his body jolted with surprise at this, and it was obvious that Maria was equally stunned. "The Hulk's _cousin?"_

"Yes, sir," Jimmy nodded. "What's more, it appears that the Avengers are going to give her a transfusion...of the Hulk's blood."

Again, Quartermain stiffened with surprise, his mouth popping open as the many different implications of such a scenario began springing from his mind. As for Maria, she reacted to this realization by letting out a tiny gasp and looking down at the PDA.

His surprise turning to concern, Quartermain watched in silence as Maria studied the information presented to her. Seconds passing into minutes as she examined the information, the silence on the bridge so prevalent that he could have heard a pin being dropped on the far end of the helicarrier.

Finally, after a seeming eternity, Maria looked up from the PDA and turned somewhat. Giving Quartermain a good look at the smile that now curled her lips. "I see," she seemed to purr, looking very much like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. "Agent Woo, open a channel to the Avengers. I want to have a little word with Stark."

"Yes, sir," Jimmy answered. All the while Quartermain felt like a pit was opening up in the bottom of his stomach.

_No way this is gonna end well..._ Quartermain couldn't help but think as his new director went to work on fulfilling her agenda.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Well, there's not much going on right now. Still, I hope you will all read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?<p>

At this point I feel I should make something perfectly clear. And that is that I HATE Maria Hill. She spends so much time focusing on trying to put the heroes into positions where she can control them that it puts everyone else in danger of being wiped out by AIM, Hydra, and every supervillain out there. This is my mind makes her more of a danger than the villains, especially now that she has free rein over SHIELD.

Also, I decided to spend some time with the Avengers taking precautions to make sure that Hulk's blood doesn't effect Jennifer because, and let's face it, they've seen what happens with gamma mutation. Some of them have even lived through it. So while its needless to say that their precautions won't work, I felt this was an important issue that should be addressed.

Anyway, I admit that this is by and large a setup chapter for what's to come, but given the sheer amount of action satisfaction I'm planning on bamming out, I felt this was necessary. Still, I hope everyone enjoys the results.

As for the next chapter...I have a nice little family reunion planned out. So for now, enjoy!

Laura's Court, thank you. Indeed, I thought that there were certain matters that were worth addressing that I felt that the creators probably couldn't go into for this series. I just hope the I continue to satisfy.

shadow, when Ross enters the picture, you can count on him being on the receiving end of a _very_ nasty beatdown!

Rassilon001, Hulk definitely has a great deal of depth to his character, something that isn't touched upon very often.

the Stafflord, I am trying to keep everything to the basics with this story, while at the same time remaining true to the origin story I'm retelling and giving everything some extra bang for the buck. As for Hank using ants, the whole point here is that Avengers are trying to avoid unnecessary conflict. They don't want to give Hill anything she can use against them, after all.

Sympathy for the Lost Love, I'm working on it.

Gundam Kaiser, I'll do my best to make this story as good as I can.

GreenScar1990, it's good to know that my portrayal of the Hulk meets with everybody's approval thus far. And agreed, Jennifer simply oozes personality, and a wonderful personality at that. It's truly a shame that people tend to dismiss her as a bad copy of the Hulk. Still, with Angie Harmon champing at the bit to take on the role of She-Hulk, here's hoping that Shulkie can finally get some big screen-style love and respect.


	4. A Third Option

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 4: A Third Option

"Whoa..." Wasp got out alongside a raised eyebrow. "You can really put it away, can't you?"

The lone female Avenger was sitting on the hospital floor, a short distance away from the Emergency Room where Jennifer was being operated on. Unable to do anything but sit and wait, all the while watching as the slender scrap of a man known as Bruce Banner singlehandedly demolished his second large pizza. "It's my gamma-based metabolism," he said by way of explanation. "It affords me a measure of Hulk's abilities, including his regenerative process. It also allows me to process food much faster than normal."

"Yeah, I'll bet!" As Bruce picked up a bottle of fruit punch and took several large chugs of it, Wasp gave a sheepish smile. "Anyway, I hope the food's okay and all. I know you said to hurry, but I still tried to get a bit of variety, as well as some greens and all..."

"No, no, the food's just fine, Ms. Van Dyne," Bruce promptly assured her even as he began wolfing down the salad she had picked up from the pizzeria Wasp and Hawkeye had tracked down. "After some of the things I've had to live off of, I consider this a banquet feast."

Blinking a few times at this, Wasp sighed lowly, finding that his words made sense. Bruce had been on the run from the military and SHIELD for a very long time now, doing whatever he could to dodge them and maintain a low profile. Things that she knew would likely force him to survive upon whatever he could find. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"I know that. And you don't need to apologize," Bruce assured her, having already polished off the salad. "I really do appreciate this, Ms. Van Dyne."

"Thanks," she replied, somewhat reassured. "And...if you want, you could call me Janet. Or Wasp, if you wanted."

Pausing to look up from his binging, Bruce gave her a tiny, weak smile. "I'd like that...Janet." Reaching over for the his next course, he paused to say, "I'd also like to thank you."

"Thank me?" Wasp replied, a bit puzzled.

"For helping Hulk the way you have," Bruce elaborated as he continued to eat.

Blinking a few times at this, Wasp heaving a sighing laugh. "Hey, it's no problem!" she promptly assured him. "I mean...personally, I think Hulk's the one who's been helping me out most of the time."

"That's not true, Janet. And I think you know that," Bruce told her. "You helped Hulk by accepting him. That's something that's been very rare in both our lives." Pausing to chomp down on a whole piece of pizza, the bedraggled scientist swallowed and took another chug of fruit punch before going on to say, "So many people are frightened by Hulk. By his size, his appearance. But you never reacted to him that way. Not even once."

Giving a self-depreciating smile, Wasp shrugged and answered, "I guess it's different for me. I mean, when you're just a couple inches tall, _everyone's _bigger than you. So...I'm guess I'm kinda used to that sort of thing by now."

Raising an eyebrow at this, Bruce allowed a tiny smile to curl his lip. "There is that," he admitted. "Still, I hope you understand that what you give Hulk is...such a rare thing for him. To be accepted without question or conditions..."

As Bruce trailed off, Wasp again shrugged. "I know. I just wish...I mean, I don't get it!" This garnered a puzzled look from Banner, who was once again eating. "I mean, so the Big Green has a few rough edges! So what? That's no reason to be all afraid of him!"

Pausing to swallow, Bruce took another chug of fruit punch before replying, "Perhaps. But you have to understand something, Janet. Hulk and I...we weren't always the way we are now."

"What do you mean?" Wasp wondered, her features contorting with perplexity.

Setting down his drink, Bruce frowned somewhat as he studied Wasp, as if considering how best to answer her question. "Janet," he began, his voice low and serious. "Do you recall the sensations you experienced while under the influence of the Leader's gamma domes?"

Shuddering at the thought of this, Janet replied, "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget anything about that..." Her words fell flat in her mouth as the meaning this question registered, causing her eyes to pop wide open. "Wait...are you saying that...Hulk used to be the way I was when...?"

"After a fashion," Bruce explained enigmatically. "You have to understand, gamma mutation has a strong influence on a person, both physically and mentally. It loosens a person's inhibitions, unleashing portions of one's self that we usually keep restrained. Especially in the case of the initial transformations; the resulting shock from them tends to reduce the person in question to a primal, savage state. Just like you and the others experienced." Sucking in a horrified gasp at this, Wasp sat and watched as the tormented soul next to her lowered his gaze, memories of his tortured past returning to him. "And you have to remember that the gamma energy that gave birth to the Hulk wasn't a precisely controlled and regulated gamma dome. It was a full-scale, uncontrolled gamma explosion."

Making a face as she put two and two together, Wasp gathered, "You mean...the Hulk was even more out-of-control than we were?"

"Not exactly. The mutation left him - us - extremely unstable," Bruce went on, a deep, abiding sadness hanging from his voice. "I found myself transforming to and from the Hulk as a result of different stimuli, not just anger. And the Hulk himself has changed over the years as we...acclimated to what we had become. There have been times when we have been able to function as a single person. And other times..." Heaving a deep, weary sigh, he looked back up at her and was forced to admit, "Let's just say that his - our reputation...is not entirely undeserved."

"But that's not your fault! Or Hulk's!" Wasp vehemently protested. "I mean - everybody who got hit by that stupid gamma dome was messed up! Even Cap and Panther, for crying out loud, and they're about the most restrained, self-controlled guys I know! So if that thing could make them act all crazy, then -!"

"I know that, Janet. Believe me, I'm thoroughly aware of the effects of gamma mutation on a person's mind," Bruce replied, giving her a look that made it clear that this was a gross understatement. "But none of that changes the things that we did. And it doesn't change the fact that people that were hurt as a result."

As Wasp sat there, studying the tortured soul that sat next to her, she found herself flashing back when she had been under the influence of the Leader's gamma energy. She thought of the abject savagery she felt, the rage and violence that had fogged her mind, driving her to lash out at the world. And she tried to imagine living with that condition, experiencing her own, human life, all the while aware that the slightest provocation could cause that beast to come out. To rampage and destroy anyone anything, all without restraint until she reverted, haunted by the memories of the horrible things she had done. She tried to imagine living that kind of life for year after year...and felt her eyes tearing as a result.

"I'm sorry," Wasp finally told the person next to her, referring to both aspects of who he was. "So what changed for you?"

"Simple. I realized that our fighting each other, trying to destroy each other had accomplished nothing. So I decided to try and reach out to the Hulk instead. Understand what he was," Bruce explained, a hint of pride in his words. "And when I did so, I realized that he wasn't a monster. Not a disease that had to be eradicated. He was something else entirely. A person that had a place in this world. So I decided to try and help him find it."

Nodding to this, appreciating the depth to Bruce's words, Wasp commented, "I'm with you. Hulk really is a great guy."

Arching an eyebrow at this, Bruce seemed to study her for a moment before asking, "Really?"

"Yeah!" Wasp beamed enthusiastically. "I mean, like I said, the big guy has more than his share of rough edges, but it's not like I can blame him for that. And it's really great to have someone on the team that I can really talk to and hang out with." An impish smirk curling her lips, she cupped a hand to her mouth and added, "I've never told him this, but I kinda feel like he's the grumpy big brother I never had!"

"A big brother, you say?" Bruce commented, a smile of his own appearing.

"Yeah! I -!" Wasp began, only to cut herself off when she took stock of the utter deviousness with which Bruce was smirking at her. "Hey...wait a second...!" she began, scowling suspiciously. "Can Hulk...hear me? As in _right now?"_

"Yes. He can hear everything I hear," Bruce replied with casual nod before pointing towards a nearby wall. "In fact, from my perspective, he's standing right over there."

"He is?" Wasp gasped, only to grunt irritably. "Oh, thanks a bunch! Why didn't you warn me instead of letting me go on like that?"

"Because you didn't ask." The Bruce's expression sobered, and he added, "And more to the point, there are many things I think that Hulk deserves to hear for himself. The kind of things I know people might not say if they knew he was listening."

Wasp simply continued to scowl at Bruce, for while she could understand what he was saying, she still didn't enjoy being manipulated in such a fashion. "Just be glad that we're in a hospital, Bruce. Because if we weren't, I'd personally smash your puny Banner butt for that one!"

"I don't doubt it," Bruce smiled before downing another piece of pizza and another chug of fruit punch. "Well...that's about all my stomach can handle. I think better let Hulk polish off the rest of this." Then he looked at Wasp and told her, "Perhaps you should me give me a little room."

Wasp opened her mouth to protest, but even as she did, Bruce's eyes lit up with the deadly green she knew so well. So without even thinking about it, she shrank down and spread her wings, flying a short distance away as the transformation began.

Before Wasp's eyes, mammoth muscles swelled and shifted beneath Bruce's skin even as it turned a sickly green, then the more vibrant shade of emerald that she knew so well. Bones cracked and reshaped themselves as what was the spitting image of the original ninety-pound weakling gave way to half a ton of muscle-bound Hulk.

As the jade giant stood, taking in a deep, satisfied breath, he swung his emerald irises towards Wasp, and cocked his head to the side. "Grumpy big brother, huh?"

Letting go an awkward chuckle before groaning in dismay, Wasp could only shrug helplessly before replying, "Well...you are kinda grumpy. Sometimes. A little."

Not able to remember the last time she felt this awkward, Wasp could only hover there for a time. Until at last Hulk flashed her a tiny smile before gesturing for her to come closer. "I don't think even I can finish up all this food by myself," he said in a softer version of his normal voice. "Care to join me?"

Taken aback by this sudden shift, Wasp could only hover there for a moment before smiling and returning to her normal size. "Sure," she replied as she sat down next to the green goliath, "why not?"

Hulk just smiled a bit more, and the two of them contented themselves to sit and eat for a time.

* * *

><p>As Captain America stood before the Emergency Room entrance, watching and observing the occasional passerby, he couldn't help but think of a saying he had once heard. He couldn't recall under what circumstances he had heard it, but he felt that the axiom that war was ninety-nine percent waiting, and one percent pure terror was a fairly accurate one. And one that could be applied to situations other than war.<p>

There was nothing he could do outright to help in the current situation. No skill he possessed that could help save Jennifer's life. All Captain America could do was stand by and wait, just in case trouble came his way. All the while knowing that, just a few scant feet away from him, an innocent woman could well be dying.

He knew that there was nothing he could do to help directly. He knew that he was already taking the best course of action. And he accepted all of these things. But the man that had taken up the name of Captain America still disliked the waiting and worrying that came with his current duty. _Ease down, soldier,_ he eventually told himself. _Odds are good that you'll be seeing some action soon enough. Whether you want to or not..._

Even as this dour thought rang in his mind, an orderly appeared at the end of the hall. "Well, there it is, gentleman," he spoke in a nervous voice, gesturing towards the Emergency Room. "As you can see, your friends are already waiting for you."

"Indeed," came a familiar voice as two figures stepped into view. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Ho, Captain America! Ant-Man!" boomed a resounding, formidable voice as the figures approached.

Even as the Super Soldier smiled in relief, Ant-Man replied with, "Thor! Panther! It's good to see you here!"

"I left Wakanda as soon I was received word of what had transpired," Thor replied, his features darkening somewhat as he and Black Panther approached. "Tell me, how fares Hulk's kin?"

"Well, she's still alive," Ant-man somberly answered. "Beyond that, there's not a lot we can tell you."

The Asgardian opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Wasp calling out, "Hey! It's about time you two showed up!" Turning about, the Avengers watched as the lone woman of their team approached, with the Hulk and Hawkeye following a short distance behind. "What kept you?"

"My apologies, Wasp," Black Panther replied, his full-face mask and carefully measured voice betraying nothing. "But I had some difficulty extricating myself from my meeting with the Latverian ambassador."

"I'm sorry, Panther," Captain America told him in utmost sincerity. "But I won't lie to you. We've got an ugly situation on our hands, and I'm glad to see you two here."

"You need not apologize. I owe too great a debt to the Avengers to turn my back on any of you, especially in times such as this." The panther-markings on his face seemed to grimace as he added, "And in any case, I was grateful to have a reason to leave my meeting. Ms. von Bardas was...extremely demanding in her negotiations."

As Captain America pondered this enigmatic comment, Thor turned towards the jade giant. "Truly, I am grieved to hear about your cousin, Hulk," he assured the titan. "What has been done to bring the dishonorable cur responsible to justice?"

"We haven't had a chance to find out," Captain America answered in all honesty. "We've been focusing on Jennifer's treatment, as well as making sure that nothing else happened to her." Furrowing his brows, he turned towards Hulk before adding, "Once we're certain that she's been stabilized, then we can worry about the persons responsible."

"Agreed," Black Panther nodded. "And we need to be prepared, in case the transfusion has a negative effect on Ms. Walters."

"Huh?" Hawkeye started as the others gave the Wakandan querulous looks. "Hey, wait a second! How'd you hear about her needing a transfusion?"

"It was mentioned in one of the news broadcasts we monitored en route to here," Black Panther explained in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "The reporter explained that you were forced to use Hulk's blood in order to preserve Ms. Walters' life."

"Were these broadcasts in error?" Thor wondered.

"No, th-that's true, but -!" Ant-Man started, only for his mouth to fall open in confusion.

"How the heck did the press get wind of _that?"_ Hawkeye irately demanded. "It's not like we've been advertising it!"

"One of the nurses from before must've told them!" Wasp gasped with a look of alarm. "Remember when all of them took off from the ER? Someone must've blabbed to those vultures outside!"

"Which means that its only a matter of time before everybody on the planet finds out about it! Including SHIELD and the Hulkbusters!" Ant-Man groaned, slapping himself in the forehead. "And I can just imagine how they'd react to something like _that!"_

Captain America could as well. He had had only fleeting encounters with Maria Hill, but had heard and observed enough about SHIELD's present director to know that she placed greater value on SHIELD's reputation and welfare than the duty it was supposed to uphold. And while he had never met General Ross, the things he had learned about his consummate hatred of the Hulk and the extremes it pushed him to in his pursuit of the jade giant made it clear that he was a dangerous man. The fact that such sensitive information had leaked out to them could only complicate their situation. All of which prompted him to say, "We better inform Iron Man, then."

"But Tony's still supervising the surgery!" Wasp protested.

"True, but he still needs to be informed of this. The sooner, the better," Captain America replied in a serious voice. Not waiting for the others to protest, the Super Soldier turned and gently creaked the door open and looked inside the Emergency Room.

Pausing to survey the ER interior, the living legend took note of the machines bracketing Jennifer's still form, multiple mechanical arms moving this way and that, moving with far greater precision than any human could ever hope to. Off to the side, Dr. Ridge was observing the procedure, a look of awe on his worried face. And Iron Man was standing with his arms folded before him, looking almost relaxed, despite the situation. Taking this to mean that Jennifer's condition was stable enough that nothing would happen if Stark's attention was elsewhere for a brief time, Captain America gently called out to him. "Iron Man?" The armored Avenger hesitated before turning about, his face again obscured by golden faceplates. "Could you come outside for a moment? We have a situation out here."

A beat passed before he nodded and turned to Dr. Ridge. "I better see what this is about, Doc. Think you can hold down the fort for a minute or so?"

"Uh, certainly!" Dr. Ridge replied, displaying none of the contempt that he had so freely displayed earlier.

Taking this to be a good sign, or at least not a bad one, Captain America watched as Iron Man nodded and started towards them. "Sure thing, Cap," he replied even as he passed through the door and took stock of the people there. "Hey, Thor! Panther! Glad you two could make it!"

Noting the upbeat way Iron Man spoke, Captain America felt his hopes rise even as Hulk demanded, "How's Jennifer?"

"All things considered, pretty good, actually," Iron Man replied, his faceplates opening to reveal his smiling face. "At the risk of jinxing us, Dr. Ridge says that if she can hold on until the surgery's complete, she should make it without any trouble."

There was no relief in Hulk's face, just a slight ebbing of concern. But most of the others let go sighs and other expressions of gratitude, something emphasized when Wasp announced, "It's about time we got some good news today!"

"What about Hulk's blood?" Ant-Man inquired. "Any sign that its affecting her?"

"You mean, other than in a good way?" Iron Man smirked. "You don't have to worry about that; Banner called it. As soon as the gamma energy was siphoned off, the mutagenics went completely dormant. There's absolutely no sign of them affecting her or mixing with her own DNA. So as long as she can stay away from gamma energy, she'll be just fine."

"Tis very good news, indeed," Thor agreed. "While this energy has given rise to noble warriors, I've seen the horrors it can also beget."

Seeming to wonder if Thor was again making comment about the evils of technology, Iron Man then visibly dismissed the matter before admitting, "Still, we are going to need some more blood, Hulk. I hope you're up for it."

"I'm up for it," Hulk rumbled in a resolute manner. "You just say how much she needs, and I'll give it."

"Okay, then just go inside and get in place. I'll be in to handle things in a second," Iron Man instructed him. Nodding to this, Hulk entered the Emergency Room. As the doors swung closed, the playboy genius turned and asked, "So, Steve, care to tell me what's going on?"

"We have a problem. Somehow, the press got word that we're using Hulk's blood to help Jennifer." As Iron Man's eyes went wide with surprise, Captain America turned and asked, "Panther saw a broadcast mentioning the transfusion while on the way here."

"Indeed." Black Panther then went on to explain exactly what he had seen, before going on to say, "Given the Leader's attempt to permanently mutate the worldwide population, I expect anyone who hears of this will leap to the worst of conclusions regarding this situation. Including Director Hill."

Making a face at this, Iron Man groaned, "Oh...and I guess that would explain the little love note I just got."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hawkeye demanded.

"While I was in there, JARVIS told me that Hill was calling. Said she had something urgent she wanted to discuss," Iron Man admitted in a sheepish manner. "But - well, we were at delicate stage in the operation, and, well...I told him to put her on voice mail."

As one, each of the Avengers present stared at their leader in muted shock. Even Black Panther's mask couldn't quite muffle his reaction, one that was given voice to by Hawkeye. "Oh, really smart move, Stark!" the archer groaned disdainfully. "Like she doesn't hate us enough as it is!"

Iron Man opened his mouth to counter this, but Captain America broke in. "Then we better contact SHIELD as soon as possible." Looking sharply at Iron Man, he asked, "Can you leave Jennifer alone long enough to contact Hill, tell her exactly what's going on here?"

"I'd have to siphon off and process more of Hulk's blood for another transfusion first, but...yeah, at this point, JARVIS and the rest of my tech seem to have everything in hand," Iron Man eventually nodded.

"Then you better get on it," Captain America instructed him. "We don't want Hill jumping to conclusions here. We're sitting on a powder keg as it is, and the last thing we want is for someone to blow it up in our faces!"

* * *

><p>As Iron Man made his way into the Quinjet, studiously ignoring the reporters that had set up shop outside of the hospital as they shot questions at him from every angle, he honestly wished that he could chase them off with a few rounds of repulsor fire and be done with it.<p>

_Like I really need this on top of everything else,_ Iron Man thought as he entered the high-tech shuttle, followed by Captain America and Ant-Man. _I've got SHIELD breathing down my neck, a woman who nearly got killed to save, a bunch of thugs to be brought down, all of which has been made that much harder by you vultures. And you have the nerve to demand an interview?_

As Iron Man imagined blasting them away with the unibeam or some other suitably painful ordinance, Captain America made a thoughtful noise in his throat. "You know, it might be best to make some kind of statement to the press later on," the Super Soldier commented. When Tony looked his way, he added, "As it stands right now, the people know only a part of the truth. And as long as that remains the case, we're going to be meeting with resistance here. Not just from SHIELD, but from the public as a whole."

Groaning in dismay at this, despite seeing the logic to these words, Iron Man was soon even more annoyed when Ant-Man chimed in. "Cap's got a point there. We don't want to give SHIELD anything they can use against us. And the kind of fear this story is stirring could prove to be damaging to the Avengers as a whole. Better to nip it in the bud before it gets any worse."

"Okay. Fine then," Iron Man retorted, not bothering to conceal the frustration and irritation that had mounted up so quickly, all in a single day. "Tell you what. After I'm done talking to Hill and making sure that Jennifer stays alive, you two can go right ahead and set the press straight. Knock yourselves out."

Deriving a moment of satisfaction in the faces his fellow Avengers made at this suggestion, Iron Man then sat down at the controls. "Okay, JARVIS. We're safely in the Quinjet with nobody around who ought not be hearing what we're going to be talking about," the billionaire philanthropist spoke, looking forward to the coming conversation the same way he did to root canal. "Open a channel to the SHIELD helicarrier. Tell whomever you get that I'm returning Director Hill's call."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied, not at all bothered by the onerous task set before him.

_It's times like this I'm glad I'm a genius,_ Iron Man couldn't help but think. _It's so nice to have an AI take care of dealing with the mindless cretins SHIELD tends to keep on hand. _As this thought ran its course, placed his hand to his chin as another idea occurred to him. _Say...I wonder if I could cook up an AI that could run Stark Industries for me as well? Make sure everything goes smoothly, keep the Board of Directors happy and off my back..._

Deciding to explore this idea when his spare time wasn't nearly so spare, Iron Man was brought back to the moment when JARVIS finally announced, "Mr. Stark, Director Hill is now on the line for you."

Groaning in such a way that said that he was resigned to his fate, Iron Man answered, "Patch her through, JARVIS."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied. An instant later, the image of Maria Hill appeared on the screen before him, an impatient look on her face.

"Director Hill," Iron Man started, wanting to get things off on the right foot. "Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I -"

"Tony Stark, you deliberately ignored a call from the Director of SHIELD!" Maria broke in, wearing a scowl that would sour milk chocolate. "You're not dealing with one of your employees here! You can't just put me on hold!"

Struggling to stifle a groan, Iron Man forced a pleasant expression into place before retracting the plates of armor that covered his face. "My apologies, Hill, but at the time you called, I was dealing with an extremely sensitive situation, and I couldn't let myself get distracted," he began, deciding to begin with total honesty. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about? Or do I even need to ask?"

Despite the fact that it should have been impossible, Hill's scowl intensified considerably. "I'm calling, Stark, because of a disturbing report that I just received." Her eyes narrowing sharply, she bored into Iron Man's eyes by force of her gaze alone before declaring, "It has to do with an incident involving a Ms. Jennifer Walters."

Now it was Iron Man who was scowling, the blasé fashion in which Hill referred to this critical situation. "I'm assuming that you're referring to how she was nearly killed when her car exploded."

"That, and other matters." Placing her hands to her hips, the current SHIELD director studied the Avengers for a moment before going on to say, "My first and foremost concern is that you apparently gave her a transfusion of the _Hulk's _blood. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true. And before you ask, we are painfully aware of the inherent risks in using it for such purposes," Ant-Man informed her.

"Are you really?" Hill pointedly inquired.

"Considering the fact that five of us have firsthand experience with how nasty gamma rays can be, I think you can say we're quite aware of it," Iron Man snarked in perfect deadpan. "And before you can ask how we could be so stupid do something like that, there are a couple things that you should be aware of. The first being that we didn't exactly have a lot of options in terms of potential donors."

"The report I got mentioned that," Hill conceded. "But it didn't mention you doing anything to prevent her being affected by the mutagenic properaties inherent to the Hulk's blood."

"Then let me reassure you that we didn't just give it to Jennifer straight up," Iron Man stated in as firm a manner as he could. "We were able to completely extract the gamma energy before transfusing it."

"And the mutagenic elements?" Hill pointed out. "Were you able to filter those out as well?"

This was a stickier manner, Iron Man knew. "We were...unable to do anything about them. Jennifer was losing blood fast. So we did the best we could in the time we had available."

"So you knowingly exposed this woman to dangerous mutagenics," Hill inferred, a note of triumph to her words. "After all the destruction caused by the Hulk and others of his kind, you willingly risked creating another beast like him."

"The mutagenics in the blood were rendered dormant as soon as they were deprived of gamma energy, Hill," Ant-Man informed her in a no-nonsense manner. "Without that energy, they can't effect Jennifer's native DNA. And we were already planning on instituting supplemental treatments to insure that they remain dormant until they can be safely purged from her body."

"Then there is still a danger of her being effected by them," Hill determined, visibly growing more satisfied in her accusations. "You willingly put the people at large at in danger by risking the creation of another monster like the Hulk."

"Hold it right there, Director Hill," Captain America intoned in that stern, resolute voice that immediately commanded respect and attention. "As we have already explained to you, there wasn't time to completely filter the Hulk's blood. There was no other source of blood in Jennifer's type. If we were to save her life, then our only option was to let Hulk do what he had to save his cousin, while doing our best to make she wasn't harmed in the process."

"That does not change the fact that you Avengers recklessly endangered people," Hill rigidly countered. "The same people you allegedly protect."

His features hardening with mostly concealed annoyance, Captain America went on to say, "And let me tell you something about the Hulk, Director Hill. He's many things, but he is no monster." Pausing just long enough to make sure that he had her complete attention, the living legend then proceeded to explain, "I've studied every available news video regarding him, and I've watched him in action firsthand. I've heard about how he rescued a SHIELD team tasked with his capture, and I've seen him put his life on the line for us and others."

"He's also caused wanton destruction and property damage all across the country and beyond!" Hill shot back.

"He's a man, Hill. A man who has been struggling with an enormous power that is capable of driving people to madness," Captain America countered evenly. "I've seen what gamma power can do to a person. I've lived through it myself. And I know the dangers of it, and so I can understand your concerns about seeing more beings like that coming into existence. But while he may have been created by gamma energy, he is not ruled by it. The Hulk isn't the unthinking monster you make him out to be, Hill. He's a hero, one that I'm proud to call an ally."

Wrinkling her face in disgust, Hill sneered, "That so-called hero you speak is a wanted fugitive!"

"And how is that, Hill? I've seen his files. The Hulk has never once been brought before a court of law, let alone convicted of any crime," Captain America pointed out. "He's been hounded and harassed out of fear. Simply because some people are fearful of his appearance, of the power he has. Which is a crime in and of itself."

"A crime?" Hill spat out in shocked disbelief.

"That's right, Hill. Because while many things may have changed over the years, there is one thing that hasn't. And that is that this country is founded on the principle that all people are created equal, and our Constitution offers each of its citizens equal rights." Then Captain America narrowed his eyes sharply before adding, "Even if they happen to be over eight-feet-tall and bright green."

While Hill was scowling at this, Iron Man smiled and chimed in, "That's right. And one of those rights that Hulk has happens to be the right to do whatever he can within legal bounds to save his cousin. And we have the right to help him if we so choose."

Her expression souring that much more, Hill eventually declared, "You can go on about rights and the Constitution all you want, but none of that changes certain facts. Such as the facts that you are all vigilantes, that you have exposed someone to dangerous mutagenics, and that no matter what you say, the Hulk is still a fugitive and a monster." Then a deadly smirk curled her lips as she added, "Nor does it change the fact that the Hulkbusters are presently en route to Los Angeles to apprehend him."

As Iron Man scowled at this, Ant-Man gaped in protest. "But - wait! You can't let that happen, Hill!" their resident pacifist blurted out. "Los Angles is a heavily populated area! If the Hulkbusters come after Hulk here, they'll put hundreds, possibly thousands of lives at risk!"

"The Hulkbusters are in pursuit of a wanted fugitive, and have full authorization to use whatever means necessary to take him down. There's no reason for me to intervene." Then Hill gave them a cold smile before adding, "However, if there were any SHIELD operatives within the Los Angeles area, I might be willing to let them handle -"

"I don't believe this!" Iron Man groaned despite himself. "I swear, can you be any less subtle? I feel like I'm dealing with my Board of Directors!" Pausing to massage the headache he was getting, he shot Hill a poisonous glare. "You're actually willing to let a loose cannon like General Ross send the Hulkbusters into a city of millions with weapons blazing, just to get us to register as SHIELD agents?"

Her smile falling away, Hill declared, "It's like I told you before, Stark. I want the Avengers registered and working for SHIELD. And I'm making it happen; one way, or another."

"Even at the risk of civilian lives?" Captain America demanded.

"If people get hurt, it will be because you Avengers insist on sheltering a wanted fugitive," Hill stated firmly. "As well as a woman who has been contaminated with his blood."

It took a few seconds for the meaning of Hill's words to register, and when they did, Iron Man felt his fists clench in frustration. "Are you telling me that Ross is coming after Jennifer as well?"

"Only as a precautionary measure," Hill informed them. "As you have already admitted, Ms. Walters has been exposed to the Hulk's blood. And dormant mutagenics or not, there is still a danger of them having a negative effect on her. General Ross is under direct orders to take her into custody, so she can brought to a secure SHIELD facility for testing and evaluation. To make certain that there is no danger of her becoming a monster like her cousin."

As Iron Man was barely clamping down on the urge to put his fist through the monitor, Ant-Man spoke up. "Let me ask you something, Director Hill," he began carefully, keeping whatever distaste he felt at bay. "Let's say that we were to agree to become SHIELD agents. What then?"

"What do you mean, Dr. Pym?" Hill wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"What would happen if we were to become SHIELD agents? Are there any special conditions that would come along with that?" Ant-Man wondered. "What about Hulk and his cousin? What would happen to them?"

"Simply put, you would all benefit from all the rights and responsibilities that every SHIELD agent enjoys. You would have to follow SHIELD guidelines, but otherwise, you would be able to continue your activities as heroes," Hill explained, putting a distasteful emphasis on that last word, "without any interference. However, there would be certain...conditions."

"Such as...?" Iron Man wondered.

"For starters, we would want tissue samples from Captain America," Hill explained, eyeing the Super Soldier. "SHIELD wants to continue the Super Soldier project that Abraham Erskine worked on, and you DNA could be the key to replicating it." Then she looked at the other two present before saying, "We would also want certain...other assets that you possess. After all, as SHIELD agents, the wellbeing of SHIELD would be your first and foremost concern."

"Which means _what _exactly?" Iron Man wondered, despite suspecting what Hill meant.

"To put it simply, Stark, that I won't tolerate the withholding of resources that could benefit SHIELD from any of you," Hill declared, seeming to savor the words even as she spoke them. "And that includes your technology."

"So if I were to join up with SHIELD, you'd basically order me to start making weapons again," Iron Man scowled disgustedly. "Would I have to give them to you free of charge, or would I actually be paid for them?"

"SHIELD would be more than happy to purchase whatever equipment and weaponry you were to manufacture, and at a fair price. But it wouldn't just be your technology we would want ." Then Hill shifted her eyes towards Ant-Man and added, "Dr. Pym would have to give a full disclosure of the technology behind his Pym Particles, as well as his other technological developments."

_"What?"_ Ant-Man spat out in horrified disbelief.

"And what about Hulk and Jennifer?" Captain America broke in before Ant-Man could say anything further. "Hulk is an Avenger as well, and his cousin..."

"The Hulk would be remanded to a SHIELD facility, so we can research his condition, and hopefully develop a cure for it," Hill informed them. "The same goes for his cousin, just in case -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just hold it right there, Hill!" Iron Man broke in, holding up his hands in negation. "Look, even assuming that me going back to making weapons wasn't a deal-breaker all on its own - which, just for the record, it _is -_ there is no way we're going to hang Hulk or Jennifer out to dry!"

"Besides, considering how well SHIELD handled Graviton, you'll understand if we don't exactly trust your intentions in this case," Ant-Man seconded. "So you might as well forget it. We're not registering with SHIELD, and that's final."

Her scowl returning in full force, Hill countered, "In that case, when General Ross arrives, I expect you Avengers to give him your utmost cooperation. You will hand over both the Hulk and Walters to him the moment he arrives. And if you do not, if you resist in any way, I will have you all brought up on charges and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"And that kind of attitude is precisely why I ended my little agreement with SHIELD to begin with," Iron Man wryly remarked.

Studying SHIELD's new director for a time, Captain America finally commented, "You know, in my day, I've dealt with people like you. People who did whatever they could to gain power over others, all the while claiming that they were acting in the best interests of the world at large." His eyes narrowed sharply as he continued, "People like Baron Zemo and the Red Skull."

Her face falling with shock, Hill required a moment to recover before shooting back, "Don't you _dare_ compare me to tyrants like them! My whole life and SHIELD's purpose is to keep the world safe from their kind!"

"And to do that, you're trampling over the rights of the people, placing them in danger with your manipulations, just as you did when Hydra and AIM were at war with each other," Captain America pointed out. "You are acting against the very concepts that this country was founded upon in your defense of it."

"A necessary sacrifice, old man," Hill shot back. "Collateral damage is unavoidable in any conflict. I thought you of all people would understand that."

"It might be unavoidable, but that doesn't make it acceptable," Captain America countered, maintaining the voice of a true hero that Iron Man remembered from the old movies made back in the day. "And when you push for conflict when there is no need for one, all for the sake of more power, than it's worse than unacceptable. It's a crime, and a tragedy for everyone involved."

"You're wrong, old man. There's nothing criminal about what I'm doing," Hill sniffed disdainfully. "SHIELD exists solely to protect the world, and I'm doing whatever it takes to make sure that it's up to the challenge. And if that involves stepping on few people to make it happen, then that's a price I'm willing to accept."

"But are the people willing to accept it?" Captain America countered. "You're talking about tossing people into harm's way like it's no big deal, Hill. But it is. I don't care how you try to justify it, whether you say that it's only a few people or that their rights don't matter in the face of what SHIELD needs, it's still wrong. Whether it affects just one person or one million, it's still wrong."

"No, it's not," Hill shot back. "What's wrong is that you Avengers inspire other people to put on costumes and take the law into their own hands. What's wrong is that more and more people are acting like they're above the law, and can't be made accountable for their actions. Well, let me make something crystal clear, Steven Rogers; I'm going to put a leash on each and every last one of you, and make you respect SHIELD's authority." Allowing a hint of smug superiority to creep back into her features, the Director of SHIELD added, "Let me know when and if you change your minds. You know where to reach me."

An instant later, Hill's image disappeared from the screen, leaving Iron Man to groan and massage his temples once again. "You know, I'm horrified to have to say this," he moaned heavily, "but I'm really missing Fury right about now."

"This is turning into a disaster," Ant-Man groaned in agreement. "We either register with SHIELD and give them everything they want, or we risk getting in a firefight with the Hulkbusters that not only put lives at risk, but gets us arrested, and they still get what they want."

"And that's exactly what Hill's counting on," Captain America declared. "She believes that, out of the two choices she's given us, we'll choose the lesser of two evils." Standing up straighter, the living legend looked his fellow Avengers in the eyes before declaring, "But we can't play her game, soldiers. We have to find a third option."

"And we have to do it quickly. Before Ross and the Hulkbusters show up," Iron Man agreed as he rose to his feet. "C'mon, let's get inside and give the rest of the team the bad news. Then get to work on brainstorming something brilliant that'll get us out of this mess."

* * *

><p>"No!" Wasp vehemently declared, her cute face filled with anger as Iron Man finished giving the rest of the team the bad news. "There is absolutely no way I'm gonna stand around and watch Ross and Hill railroad Hulk into some stupid SHIELD facility! Forget it! It's not happening!"<p>

"Hey, don't forget about the rest of us here!" Hawkeye chimed in with a hint of mock annoyance. "I've been locked up on bogus charges once before. I don't want to go through that again!"

"Believe me, I know how you feel. We all have a lot to lose if Hill gets her way here," Ant-Man assured them, thoughts of the ugly games she was playing with their lives twisting about in the pit of his stomach. Images of his life's work being perverted into weapons dancing in his mind, making him feel physically ill. "That's why we have to think of something, and fast!"

"They're not getting their hands on Jennifer," Hulk rumbled, his eyes blazing with barely controlled fury. "I don't care if I have to tear apart the helicarrier itself, they won't lay a finger on her."

"I understand your rage, Hulk. I know how it feels to want to protect someone precious to you," Black Panther assured him, his voice carrying overtones of his own pain. "But we cannot attack SHIELD or the Hulkbusters. To do so would be to give Hill all the justification she needs to make us all her prisoners."

"Aye. She's toying with us, doing whatever she feels she has to in order to gain control of us," Thor declared with heavy bitterness. "And we'll lose if we play by the rules she has established."

"Agreed. It's like Cap said before. We need a third option. Some way of turning the tables on her," Iron Man concurred as he studied his fellow Avengers. "So what can we do to get out of this?"

"What if we were to send Hulk back to New York?" Hawkeye suggested in a hopeful manner. "The whole reason Ross is coming here is because he wants to take him down, right? So if we can avoid that whole thing -"

"That wouldn't help Jennifer, Hawkeye," Captain America promptly disagreed. "And even if it did, we won't get anywhere if we're constantly moving to avoid SHIELD. That would be to admit that Hill can use threats of imprisonment to make us back down, and give her power over us. Which is exactly what she wants."

"Right. What we need is something that will convince her to back off," Ant-Man declared. "But what?"

"Perhaps there is a way for us to make it so that it would not be worth it for her to force a conflict," Black Panther suggested. "To make the price of her victory so ruinous for Hill that she would be unwilling to proceed."

"Wise thinking, my friend," Thor commented with a note of approval. "And from what I've been told of this General Ross, his own instability could prove to be most damaging to her."

"To the US Army, maybe," Ant-Man agreed, not liking the way this was going. "But from what we can tell, Hill's not going to get SHIELD itself involved in this unless we don't give up Hulk and Jennifer to the Hulkbusters. And if that happens, then she'll do whatever she can to make us look like the bad guys."

"Then we have to do something to show people that SHIELD's making a mess of things here!" Wasp declared with considerable force. "If people knew just how far Hill's willing to go to get what she wants, then I bet her bosses wouldn't be too happy with her."

"Makes sense," Hawkeye nodded. "But how do we do that? Hill's gotta be aware of just how risky this sort of maneuver of hers could be. There's no way she'll let SHIELD be seen anywhere near this mess!"

"We do have the communications logs from the Quinjet, as well as my armor recorders. So everything Hill said to us from before is safely stored away for us," Iron Man stated. "But that alone won't be enough to blow SHIELD's reputation. We're gonna need something else."

There was an ugly moment of silence as the Avengers considered their plight. A silence that was unexpectedly lifted by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Excuse me," came the voice of Dr. Ridge, prompting them to turn to face him. "Um...Hulk?"

"Yeah?" Hulk rumbled in response. "What do you want?"

"I...you see...your cousin, she..." Dr. Ridge sputtered hesitantly. "She's awake."

Of all the things Ant-Man could have expected the doctor to say, this had not even been close to being one of them. And it was clear from the astonished expressions of the others present that they felt similarly. "What?" Wasp jolted as the others made various noises of surprise. "Then - is she okay? Is she -?"

"She's still weak right now, but...from what I've seen...it looks like she stands a good chance of making a full recovery," Dr. Ridge assured them. Then he offered a tender smile before adding, "In fact...she asked to speak with you."

Ant-Man was then treated to the rare sight of all of the anger fading from Hulk's brutal visage. Anger that was replaced by a look of hope and wonder and other emotions that were hidden just out of sight. "Okay," the green goliath nodded before starting forward.

"Uh, Hulk. Hold up a second," Iron Man broke in as he came up to his side. "Look, I realize that you want to talk to Jennifer, but...I'd recommend not getting too close to her." The Hulk's face scowl promptly returned as the armored Avenger added, "I'm sorry, but...your body constantly radiates gamma energy. It's extremely low level, but..."

"But there's a chance it could affect the mutagenics. I know that," Hulk responded, his voice more weary than angry. "Don't worry. I'm used to not being able to get close to her."

"Hulk..." Wasp murmured as the jade giant started forward again. Quickly starting after him, she was followed by the rest of the Avengers, all of whom maintained a polite distance as Hulk entered the Emergency Room.

* * *

><p><em>Jennifer...<em> Hulk thought as he entered the Emergency Room, stopping just inside the door. Pausing to look at the woman that had been so thoroughly brutalized, all for fighting what she believed in. For what was right. The woman that had put herself on the line more times than he could recall, all to keep him and Banner in her heart. The only family he had, and that he strode to protect by keeping away from her.

And as he looked at her, still battered and bruised as a result of one small-minded thug's brutality, it was all Hulk could do not to scoop her up in his arms. To hold her close and keep the rest of the world away from her. To take her someplace where SHIELD and Ross and Trask couldn't hurt her ever again.

After a long time of simply looking at her, looking past the injuries that had been inflicted upon her and seeing only her kindly features, Hulk swallowed the lump of bile that had formed in his throat before finally managing to speak. "Jennifer...?"

Weakly stirring at this, Jennifer rolled her head to the side. Just enough to be able to look blearily at Hulk. "Hey...cuz..." she spoke, a pained smile appearing on her battered face. "It's sure...been a while, huh?"

"Yeah," Hulk agreed, not sure what else he could say. "Too long."

Sniffling mildly, Jennifer studied him before commenting, "Sorry...I'm not more...presentable, but..."

"It's okay, Jen. Please, don't talk so much," Hulk pleaded of her. "You need to rest, get your strength back."

"But...we have so much...catching up to do..." Jennifer protested with a tiny, broken laugh, which was followed by mild fit of coughing. Sucking in gasp, Hulk again had to force himself to stay back as she slowly recovered, forcing a tender look back onto her face. "Come here, cuz...let's...talk, and..."

"I...I'm afraid I...I can't do that, Jen," Hulk admitted with great reluctance. His insides trembling at the thought of what he would have to tell her next.

Requiring a moment to process this, Jennifer frowned her confusion. "Why not?" Several moments passed before she managed a wry smirk. "It's not like...I've got anything...contagious, right?"

"No. But I do," Hulk rumbled sadly as he looked at his cousin. Watching as his other self appeared within his mind, appearing to stand right next to her. "Jennifer, I...there's something I have to tell you."

"What?" Jennifer replied after a moment, her eyes clear and focused despite the pain she was in. "What happened?"

Pausing to glance at his other self, at Banner, Hulk hesitated until he saw his emaciated other nod his assent. With this, the green goliath heaved a deep, reluctant breath before taking the plunge. "It's - like this," he reluctantly began. "When...Jennifer, you...do you know what...what happened?"

Nodding slightly, Jennifer added, "I...my car...it blew up." Then a hint of anger burned in her eyes, "It...it was Trask, wasn't it? It was...!"

"Jennifer, please! Now...now's not the time!" Hulk pleaded of her, the possibility of her overtaxing her battered form a frighteningly real one in his mind. "Listen...when we got to the hospital, Dr. Ridge, he...you'd lost a lot of blood, Jen! And...they didn't have any of your type on hand!"

"So...what are you...?" Jennifer wondered, only for her eyes to go wide when she put the pieces together by herself. "Wait...you mean, you...?"

"I didn't have a choice, Jen. Really, I didn't," Hulk told her, very nearly choking on his own words. "You...you were dying. You needed blood badly, so..."

"So...you gave me yours," Jennifer intuited, a note of mild surprise to her words. No anger, no shock. Just a bit of surprise. "But..."

"My friends - the Avengers - they managed to filter all the gamma out of it before giving it to you," Hulk explained edgily. "So...it won't hurt you, but...you'll have to avoid gamma energy for a while. You won't be able to get close to anything gamma." Then he lowered his gaze somewhat before adding, "Including me." As Jennifer continued to lay there unspeaking, a look of muted surprise on her face, the silence quickly became unbearable. "Jennifer...I'm sorry, I -!"

"For what?" Jennifer immediately wondered, snapping Hulk out of his remorse. "Cuz...you, you...saved my life again...you don't have to..."

"Yes. Yes, I do," Hulk assured, the guilt he felt building up upon his brawny shoulders, carrying with it a weight far greater than an entire mountain range. "There's...a lot happening, and...well..."

Unwilling to tell her everything just then, not wanting to risk her worsening her condition in anyway, Hulk could only stand there, trying to think of what to tell her. Only for Jennifer's eyes to narrow sharply with renewed anger. "It's Ross again...isn't it?"

Unsurprised by how easily she had figured it out, but without any idea of how to handle it, Hulk again turned to his other self. Quickly intuiting the unspoken query, Banner told him, "Just give her the basic details for now. Don't mention SHIELD or any of the rest of it. Not until she gets some more rest."

Nodding to this, Hulk sighed before admitting, "Yeah...we just heard he's on his way here right now."

"Damn him," Jennifer spat with as much strength as she could muster. "I wish I could...get that...self-righteous creep...in court. I'd...sue him for...for everything...he's worth..."

Realizing that she was expending what little strength she had regained, Hulk held up his hands in a reassuring manner. "Please, don't worry about Ross, Jen. We'll take care of him," he told her in as reassuring a manner as he could. "In the meantime, the Avengers will be keeping an eye on you. We'll be doing everything we can for you. Okay?"

A moment passed before Jennifer managed a single, weak nod. "Okay," she groaned wearily. "Cuz, I..."

"Don't say anything right now. Anything else can wait for now," Hulk intoned as gently as he could. "Right now, I just want you to get some sleep."

"Sleep...no, can't sleep..." Jennifer muttered in a low, determined voice. "I got...gotta get going again...Trask, he messed...messed up..." Shaking her head in a clearly delirious manner, the battered woman's eyes fell closed as she slowly tumbled back into unconsciousness. "Have to nail...nail Trask...Ross...nail 'em...make them...them..."

As Jennifer's voice faded into nothing but a heavy breathing, Hulk simply stood there for the longest time. Watching as his other self placed his hand upon her cheek. "Don't worry about Trask and Ross, Jen," Banner intoned, his words carrying with them the anger that was so familiar to the both of them. "We'll take care of them. One way...or another..."

_You got that right, Banner,_ Hulk thought, his body tensing in anticipation for what was to come. _They're not going to get Jennifer. Not now. Not ever._

* * *

><p>"You know something?" Hawkeye commented as he stood next to the Emergency Room window, listening to the unlikely cousins. "I'm starting to see the family resemblance here."<p>

"Verily," Thor concurred. "Though she is not physically a warrior, Hulk's kin certainly possesses his warrior's spirit."

"And more importantly, she has given me an idea," Black Panther chimed in, drawing the gazes of the other Avengers. "I believe I know of a way to defuse Director Hill's plans for us, and possibly even neutralize the Hulkbusters in the process."

"Really?" Wasp gasped in astonishment.

"Well, in that case, Panther, don't stand around, milking the suspense!" Iron Man demanded. "What have you got in mind?"

"It's quite simple. Director Hill keeps insisting that we are not above the law," Black Panther explained, a smug smile appearing just beneath his mask. "I think it's time we reminded her that the law can work in our favor. And that neither she nor General Ross are above it, as well."

With that, Black Panther began explaining his idea. At which point each Avenger present began to smile with barely constrained eagerness.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: I've been on a roll with the Avengers lately, so I decided to bam out another chapter. Hope everyone will read and review, as well as check out my other stories.<p>

I had a hard time doing the reunion between Hulk and Jennifer, simply because of the situation they were in, as well as the fact that I can't imagine her being completely lucid and so on after major surgery and two blood transfusions. Still, I hope this satisfies for now, and I assure that I will have a more formal reunion later on.

As for why I decided to have Jennifer refer to Hulk as cuz, I figured it would work best if I didn't have her ignoring one aspect of him in favor of the other. Since cousin is something that can be applied to both aspects, it seems to work, and would be in character for Jennifer, since she knows that the Hulk and Bruce are separate entities in this continuity.

As for the bit with Hill telling the Avengers exactly what she has planned for them, I realize that she probably came off as being rather stupid, just telling Iron Man and Ant-Man that she wanted their technology as well. But in the show, we very rarely see Hill doing anything subtle, let alone particularly intelligent. She just bulls ahead with her own agenda, so her doing so in this situation seemed most fitting.

King Kubar, seems like everybody I've talked to hates Maria Hill. I've even heard suggestions that she become a new supervillain, which could be fun, now that I think about it. I'm glad you're enjoying my take on She-Hulk's origin. I've got plenty of pure action planned for upcoming chapters, as well as some fun at Hill's expense. As for how I'll have She-Hulk be in this story...I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see.

darkangel8950, was this soon enough?

GreenScar1990, thank you for understanding. And with so much happening at this stage of the series, as well as the many issues I feel need to be addressed, it does take time to get it all handled appropriately. And I'm glad you agree with me about Hill. I swear, she's a disaster waiting to happen.

eastWOLF, my thought exactly. She-Hulk is a great character who deserves more credit than she's been given, as well as more screen time. Also, she's one of my favorite characters to use in UMVC3. And yeah, there were a great many issues that were ignored in Civil War, which was one of my least favorite comic ideas, so I felt it would be appropriate to address it here. As for my story being better than Civil War...while I appreciate the compliment, let's be honest; it's not exactly difficult to outdo that travesty.


	5. Bait and Switch

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 5: Bait and Switch

"I don't like this," Hulk muttered lowly as he stood with his back against the wall. His massive arms folded across his broad chest, scowling as he watched the rest of the Avengers at work.

"I understand that," came a familiar voice. Glancing off to his side, the Hulk saw the familiar figure of Bruce Banner standing next to him. A simple voice in his mind given the semblance of physical form, with no power to impede his actions. But a voice of reason that, despite everything the two of them gone through, the long, ugly war for control they had fought that, Hulk valued at times such as this. "But it is a good plan. It might be our only chance to protect Jennifer, and give us a chance to track down the people responsible for what happened to her."

"I know that," Hulk rumbled unhappily as he looked over at the others and watched them at work. Iron Man was caught between placing calls via his armor and working with Dr. Ridge to make sure that Jennifer was alright and remained so. Black Panther had his own cell phone out and was taking care of his own preparations. Captain America and Hawkeye were looking over a variety of maps and schematics, plotting out the necessary movements they would have to make. Ant-Man was making adjustments to the cellular implants that gave Wasp her powers, as well as recalibrating his own equipment. Making certain that absolutely everything was ready and in place for what they had to do. "But I still don't like it."

"Don't like what?" came another voice. Starting at this, Hulk was peripherally aware of the image of Banner disappearing as Thor approached. "What ails thee, Hulk?"

Glaring at his fellow Avenger, Hulk heaved an annoyed breath. "All of this," he finally admitted, again glancing at the rest of the team. "I don't like having to run from a fight."

A beat passed before Thor nodded. "Aye. In truth, I would much prefer to stand my ground as well," the Asgardian admitted, his hand tightening about his ever-present hammer. "But it is not just our lives at stake, Hulk. We have to consider -"

"I know all about that!" Hulk grated with heavy frustration. His words not even scratching the surface of the reality he had lived through.

Years before, on the day that Dr. Robert Bruce Banner's experimental Gamma Bomb was test-detonated, the immense amounts of gamma energy that had been released had transformed the tormented physically and mentally. It had released hidden aspects that the tormented scientist had fought and struggled to keep hidden, allowing them a limited awareness and a body of their own. A body that was the reflection of all the anger and rage and frustration that Banner refused to acknowledge, and that could act on those very human, very base impulses. One that day, the Hulk had been born. Born into a life of seemingly endless torment.

Trapped in a mental war with the mind and soul that had spawned him, Hulk had fought endlessly, slowly evolving over the years as both he and Banner tried to achieve a measure of stability to their twisted existence. The green goliath's own mind shifting about in reflection of everything to Banner suffered, going from an inarticulate brute to a being of considerable intelligence, from hungering for even greater power to learning empathy and compassion.

But no matter what state the Hulk's mind was in, the two constants of his and Banner's life were the anger that drove them, and the enemies that fueled that rage. Enemies such as the Leader, the Abomination, Bi-Beast, the U-Foes, Rhino, and so many other superhumans. And then there were other enemies, enemies that attacked him because they felt he was a monster. That he was an enemy that needed to be destroyed, no matter the cost. And none of those enemies was so prominent or possessed such a driving hatred of both Hulk and Banner as General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross.

_I know we can't fight this one out,_ Hulk knew, recalling the many, many times when Banner would be seeking shelter, trying to keep off the radar to either cure himself or to further his understanding of what they were, or when the Hulk was battling one of his many superhuman foes, only to somehow be discovered by either SHIELD or the Hulkbusters. Recalling how they would announce their arrival by bombarding him with missiles and machine gun fire, completely heedless innocent bystanders. Whether this caused Banner to become the Hulk, or the Hulk was already on the outside, the result was generally the same; lost lives, shattered cities, and more and more destruction that Ross was more than happy to blame the Hulk for.

Ross blamed _everything_ on the Hulk. Including _her..._

Shuddering inwardly at the pain both he and Banner felt at that one horrendous moment in time in which so many lives were left in ruins, the Hulk forced himself to return to the moment. "I know..." he growled lowly, thinking of how much he wanted to end this blasted war. To finally be free of Ross and SHIELD and everyone else that denied him the life that both aspects of him yearned for. All the while aware that this was not the time or place for such a reckoning. "But I still don't like it."

Nodding to this, Thor turned to look Hulk squarely in the face. "Know this, Hulk. The time for battle _will_ come, and when it does, I will gladly stand by your side as we smite the foul fiends who have caused you and your cousin such pain." He then held up his hammer for emphasis before adding, "So swears the son of Odin."

There were quite a few things that Hulk didn't care about when it came to Thor. The way he talked like he had just come off of a bad Shakespearian play being right up at the top of the list. But at the same time, he also appreciated the acceptance and respect granted him by the Asgardian, as well as his fighting spirit. "Yeah," Hulk finally growled, driving one of his fists into his free hand. "They'll get what's coming to them. One way or another..."

As he allowed himself to think of the many ways he would like to give Ross and SHIELD what they had coming to them, the Hulk was again brought back to the present by Iron Man's voice. "Okay, Avengers! Listen up!" their leader announced, retracting the plates of metal that concealed his face. "According to JARVIS, we have less than half an hour before we have the Hulkbusters knocking on the door. So if we're going to make this work, we better get moving! So is everyone ready?"

As Hulk growled and the others made various noises of anger and dismay, Black Panther nodded. "I've just finished making the necessary arrangements. It will be close, but everything should be in place within the required timeframe."

"Good. I've got everything ready on my end," Iron Man replied. "Cap? Hawkeye?"

"I've looked over the maps, and I've got them memorized," Captain America reported. "We'll be able to get where we're going."

"Yeah, and won't that be fun?" Hawkeye muttered sourly.

"You're sure about that?" Iron Man pressed him urgently. "We have to be out in the open for the first part of the plan, but once we're starting for the rendezvous, we won't be able to use GPS or your Avengers' ID Cards to find our way. If any of us connect to a satellite for any reason, SHIELD might be able to pinpoint our locations. And we can't risk that."

"I've run missions like this in the past, soldier. And I never had to use...GPS or any fancy tech to find my way," Captain America reminded him. "We'll be just fine."

"Yeah, but will our _noses _be?" Hawkeye muttered irritably.

Ignoring the archer's complaints, Iron Man focused on the next pair. "What about those modifications, Ant-Man? Are they ready?"

"All set," Ant-Man replied somewhat unhappily. "I wish we had more time to check all the systems and make sure everything's ready, but...I don't see any reason why this won't work."

"I know I'm ready! The sooner we get going, the better!" Then Wasp grinned eagerly and added, "Oh, I just wish I could see the look on that jerk Ross's face when he finds out what we've done!"

Smiling slightly at Janet's enthusiasm, Hulk watched as Iron Man turned to Dr. Ridge. "What about you, Doc? Are you ready?"

"As ready as can be expected," Dr. Ridge muttered sourly. "However, I feel I must reiterate my earlier protest. Ms. Walters may have come through the surgery, but she is still extremely fragile. She needs time to rest and recover. To move her around in this fashion..."

"I know, Doc. But we don't have any choice here," Iron Man replied in a sympathetic manner. "We either move Jennifer, or we let the Hulkbusters cart her off and hand her over to SHIELD."

"Yeah, and considering the wonderful job SHIELD did of handling Graviton...I'm betting you can understand why we don't want them getting their hands on her," Hawkeye commented in a wry manner.

This brought a heavy scowl to Dr. Ridge's face. "Alright. I suppose there's nothing I could do to stop you people," he finally conceded. "But let me make one thing clear; if something _does _go wrong with this madness you have planned, then I will accept no responsibility for the consequences. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly," Iron Man nodded. Then he glanced about at the rest of the team, his faceplates sliding back into place. "Alright, we're gotta a deadline to beat! Let's move, Avengers!"

With this command, Hulk and the rest of the team set about putting their plan in motion. For as much as the jade giant didn't like it, he knew that this was still their best chance of saving Jennifer. And no matter how distasteful it might be for him personally, he would make certain that she was not hurt by anyone. He would protect her with everything he had, and more.

No matter what.

* * *

><p>As Director Hill stood upon the bridge of the helicarrier, keeping aware of the information being relayed to her by the many agents under her command, she couldn't help but think of the words of Sun Tzu. About the wisdom in knowing both your enemies and yourself in a battle. And it was a wisdom that was every bit as true now as it was back in Sun Tzu's day. So now she stood there, trying to get inside the minds of her current foes. For while the battle she was getting into wasn't the kind in which shots would necessarily be fired, it was a battle nonetheless. A battle of wills, in which the Avengers needed to be shown that she would not tolerate them thumbing their noses at SHIELD's authority.<p>

Tony Stark was an impulsive, immature narcissist who thought he was smarter than everyone else. And while he could back this up in terms of technology, he was a hopeless case anywhere else. He was also completely paranoid about SHIELD and refused to trust people with his technology, always wary about the possibility of it falling into the wrong hands. He had made many mistakes in the past, and was making even worse ones in his attempts to atone for his past as Iron Man.

Thor was crazy, though perhaps not as crazy as some thought. Hill didn't put any stock in his claims to be an actual god, but there was no doubt that he and his hammer were powerful. He was also every bit as immature as Stark, lived for battle, was possibly delusional, and respected no one but those he considered to be his 'fellow warriors'.

The Hulk was a psychotic monster, pure and simple. Suffered from multiple-personality disorder, was torn between the impulses of his human and monster selves. A freak that used the title of Avenger to try and pass himself off as a hero and justify his hunger for battle and destruction. Used his fellow vigilantes to keep the military and SHIELD at bay.

Steve Rogers was a soldier, and a good one from what Hill had seen. His heart was clearly in the right place, but Captain America was nonetheless an antique. His views of right and wrong were plainly obsolete, he clung to his idealism in the wrong time, and had no understanding of what needed to be done in order to keep the world safe from the kind of dangers SHIELD fought. He didn't understand that it was often necessary to make sacrifices for the greater good, to keep evils like Hydra and AIM at bay. He was also a man out of time, with no one but the Avengers, the ones who had found him. His loyalty to them was likely fueled by the fact that their leader's father was the late Howard Stark, who had supported Captain America and provided him with much of his equipment.

Hank Pym was an idealistic moron. A pacifistic genius who lived in a pipedream of rehabilitating the monsters they fought when it was clearly impossible. He was likely only with the Avengers as a means to get more money for his projects, as well as to remain close to Wasp.

Janet Van Dyne was an idealistic idiot of her own kind. She treated the war against supervillains like a game. She belonged on the party circuit, not in law enforcement.

T'Challa was a responsible leader who cared deeply about his country of Wakanda. But the man who had inherited the mantle of Black Panther, like Captain America, possessed an obsolete sense of justice. And like all other Wakandans, had a distinct wariness of those he considered to be outsiders, aside from those he felt had earned his trust.

Clint Barton was a good man at heart, and was as dedicated to fighting criminals as the next man. He would never have become a SHIELD special agent in the first place if he hadn't been. But he had a problem with authority, and after being wrongfully accused and imprisoned, that problem had gotten that much worse, and so he had decided to hook up with his fellow loose cannons.

All together, the Avengers were a essentially a pack of well-intentioned renegades who had no respect for SHIELD's authority or the laws they were supposed to obey. Showboaters who would be very useful if put under SHIELD's control, but thought that they were somehow better than everyone else, and that the laws didn't apply to them. Which meant that the chances of them willfully surrendering the Hulk and Walters to the Hulkbusters were next to none.

_Which is just fine by me. I'd love to have an excuse to put them all in prison. We'd be able to get what we need from them without any trouble then,_ Hill couldn't help but think, liking the idea of making an example of the Avengers, and reminding all the other costumed vigilantes of SHIELD's authority. _But...I can't imagine them trying to resist openly. They might be vigilantes, but they're not so stupid as to try something overt._

So even as Hill studied the satellite readouts of the hospital Walters was at, she tried to put herself in the Avengers' position. Tried to imagine what she would do in their place. To anticipate their next move.

"Quartermain," Hill intoned in a low voice as she studied the information being relayed to her. "How much longer until the Hulkbusters arrive in Los Angeles?"

"Estimated time of arrival; nineteen minutes, sir," Quartermain immediately responded.

Narrowing her eyes, Hill tensed up in response. If the Avengers were going to make a move, then time was running out for it. "What about the hospital? Has there been any unusual activity?"

"None so far, sir," Agent Woo reported. "A couple ambulances have gone out on calls, but nothing else."

"What about the Avengers?" Hill inquired. "Has there been any sign of activity from them?"

"No, sir. None of them have gone outside the hospital since Iron Man contacted you earlier, sir," Woo confirmed.

"Not even in those ambulances you mentioned?" Hill inquired, refusing to ignore any possibilities.

Hesitating at this, Woo eventually answered, "We've been monitoring the movements of the ambulances. So far, nothing unusual about their activities, sir."

Scowling at this inconclusive answer, Hill then asked, "Any luck getting me eyes inside the hospital?"

"No, sir," Woo admitted. "I've tried hacking into the hospital security system, but there's a firewall around the security systems. I can't get past it."

_Courtesy of Stark, no doubt,_ Hill muttered inwardly as she folded her arms across her chest. _They've got something planned, alright. But what?_

Time slowly continued to pass as she considered the situation unfolding in Los Angeles. Until at last something happened. "Bingo," Hill hissed as Hulk and Black Panther emerged from the hospital, accompanying a group of medical staffers pushing a gurney with a female figure on it. A figure whose face was partially obscured by an oxygen mask. "Woo! Run the facial recognition program! Compare that woman's face with that of Walters!"

"On it!" Woo reported as the two Avengers escorted the gurney to the Quinjet, with Hulk gently holding of the injured woman. Chalking this up to Banner's influence, Hill waited until Woo finally reported, "I can only get a 77.8% match, sir! With all those bandages and the mask in the way, the computer can't do any better!"

"It's good enough," Hill declared as the two Avengers took over, carefully lifting the gurney up off its wheels and carrying it into the Quinjet. "They're moving Walters and the Hulk before the Hulkbusters can take them into custody."

"But, sir...that doesn't make sense," Quartermain frowned warily. "I mean, where are they taking them?"

It was a good question, Hill admitted. The Avengers had to know that she wouldn't give up on this, even if they packed up Hulk and Walters and shipped them back to New York. The Hulkbusters had the authority and resources to pursue them everywhere they went. If they had to, SHIELD could intervene directly and take them into custody. But as she watched the Black Panther disappear into the Quinjet, that piece of the puzzle fell into place. "They must be going for the Wakandan Embassy."

"What?" Agent Woo wondered perplexedly. "Wh-why there?"

"Because the Embassy is Wakandan territory. They get them there, T'Challa can give Hulk and Walters political asylum. And even SHIELD can't trespass on Wakandan grounds without proper authorization," Hill declared officiously. "How long until they can get to New York?"

"If they try an orbital launch and re-entry like they did on the way out here, they can be in the Big Apple in fifteen minutes," Woo nervously reported. "There's no way we could get the helicarrier there in time, sir."

Hill knew that. And if it were just the Avengers, she was certain that she would be out of luck in this case. But they were transporting someone else. "They won't try it. Not with Walters onboard," she assured the people under her command. "That woman must have just come out of surgery. There's no way she could handle a trip like that. Meaning that the Avengers are going to try and take the longer way back home. And we'll be ready to greet them. Quartermain!"

"Yes, sir?" Quartermain promptly responded even as Hill watched the Quinjet's gangway close, it's engine coming to life.

"Monitor the Quinjet's course and plot an intercept," Hill instructed him tersely. "And patch me into SHIELD Central!"

"Yes, sir," Quartermain replied before turning to his duties.

_You Avengers aren't as clever as you think you are,_ Hill thought as she watched the Quinjet lift up and away from the hospital parking lot. _It's like I told Rogers; I'm putting a leash on each and every one of you vigilantes. No matter what._

* * *

><p>"The Quinjet's automatic pilot is online," intoned the man who wore the mask of the Black Panther. "So far, so good. It looks like Phase 1 is going off without a hitch."<p>

"So far, anyway," Hulk rumbled irritably as the Quinjet slowly lifted into the air.

"Right. Still, we better assume that we won't be able to fool Hill for long," the cat-like figure returned even as he took off his mask...and revealed the face of Hank Pym just beneath it. "We better move. We don't have a lot of time before this thing clears the city."

"Hey, will you two just relax?" demanded the female figure even as she ripped off the oxygen mask and blankets. "Seriously, you worry way too much! It'll work out! You'll see!"

"For all our sakes, Jan, I sure hope you're right," Ant-Man replied even as the lone female Avenger dumped her medical gown, revealing her Wasp costume. Quickly shedding T'Challa's ceremonial costume, he reached under the gurney and retrieved his cybernetic helmet and regulator belt. As quickly as possible, he donned the needed items even as Wasp retrieved the Black Panther costume and tucked it away. "You ready, Hulk?"

Growling deeply in his throat, Hulk scowled at Ant-Man for a time before replying, "Yeah...but I still don't like it!"

"Hey, don't you worry about a thing, big guy!" Wasp beamed happily as she came up alongside him and snaked her arms about his own tree-trunk thick limb. "We're just shrinking, that's all! We do it all the time!"

Hulk was clearly not reassured by this, not that Ant-Man could blame him for that. Though Hank and Janet were used to the circumstances they found when reducing themselves in size, there was no getting around the fact that they were about to step down to a much lower rung on the food chain. A rung in which what would be minor inconveniences to them became potential threats. "Maybe so, but we still have to get to the rendezvous point. Preferably without the Hulkbusters or anyone else spotting us." Pausing to make sure that his belt and helmet were securely in place, Hank then took hold of the gamma mutant's other arm. "Now, remember, as long as you're in contact with us, you'll be able to shrink and grow with us without any problems."

"You're sure about that?" Hulk wondered unhappily.

"Well, I had to make some adjustments to our Pym Particle regulators. Gamma energy and Pym Particles don't mix very well," Ant-Man was forced to admit. "Still, it should all work. In theory, that is."

Snorting loudly, Hulk rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah, and where have I heard _that _before?"

"Relax, big guy! We've got it covered!" Wasp assured him with a playful smile.

"Now, remember, Jan, because of Hulk's size and mass, we'll have to shrink simultaneously to take him with us," Ant-Man reminded her.

"I know that, Hank! I heard you the first time!" Wasp wryly smirked. "Not to mention the second, third, fourth, and fifth times!" Chuckling to herself, she glanced between Ant-Man and Hulk then back again. "Everybody ready? On three!"

Nodding to this, Ant-Man placed his thumb over the required button on his belt. "Right. One...two...three!" Hitting the button at the exact moment Wasp triggered the implants that regulated her own Pym Particles, the two of them sent a surge of Particles through the three of them, shunting their excess mass to another dimension. In seconds, Hank and Janet were smaller than an ant, with Hulk being slightly bigger than one.

Pausing to take stock of their situation, Ant-Man released his hold on the man-monster and considered him. "Well, I'd say that qualifies as theory proven."

"Yeah, well I say it isn't proven until I get back to normal size," Hulk muttered unhappily as he took in the world around him. A world where even something the size of a beetle would dwarf him.

"Don't worry about that, Big Green! Let's just get moving!" Wasp told him teasingly as her wings whirred. "Shall we?"

Taking in the enthusiastic expression on Wasp's face, Hulk groaned heavily. "Might as well. We've come this far."

"Okay!" Wasp grinned before floating up in the air, effortlessly lifting Hulk up along with her. As the green goliath made guttural noises of surprise, she flew over to Ant-Man. "All aboard that's coming aboard!"

Despite everything, Ant-Man couldn't help but be heartened with the lightheartedness with which Janet acted. Without another thought, he leapt up and wrapped his arms about the Hulk's neck. "Uh..." the green goliath muttered as they flew up towards the back, "...you sure you can handle us?"

"Relax! It's no biggie!" Wasp assured him with a playful smile.

"She's right, Hulk. Wasp retains her normal level of strength, even at this size," Ant-Man assured him. "She could carry a full-sized human, so the two of us are no problem."

The look on Hulk's face made it clear that he wasn't convinced. But then, Ant-Man supposed that when you normally weighed half a ton, the concept of someone smaller than you carrying you around like there was nothing to it took some getting used to. But the gamma mutant didn't say anything in protest, so Hank decided to take that as good sign. "Here we go!" Wasp beamed as they approached a set of buttons near the gangway. "Say, Hulk, could you hit that yellow button? My hands are kinda full!"

Unhappy noises sounding in his throat, Hulk contented himself to make a face before reaching out and hitting the button in question. A light beeping was heard, followed by a faint rushing of air as the pressure seals around the gangway disengaged. Clearing just enough space between the gangway and the rim of the hull for something the size of a bug to slip through. "Okay, boys," Wasp beamed as she proceeded to dive towards the beckoning gap, "here we goooo!"

Tightening his grip on the Hulk even as the agitated gamma mutant roared in dismay, Ant-Man watched nervously as Wasp effortlessly slipped free of the Quinjet and continued to dive down towards the city. Once they were below the skyline, the winged wonder slowly leveled off. "There! Now was that really so terrible?"

As Hulk glared in response, Ant-Man chuckled lightly. "You think this is bad? You should see her driving!"

"What's wrong with my driving?" Wasp wondered perplexedly.

"Not much. Except that you keep forgetting that traffic signs aren't just friendly suggestions." Ignoring the way Wasp stuck her tongue out at this, Ant-Man focused his thoughts elsewhere. Calling out through his helmet, he soon smiled when his summons were answered. "Ah, there we are! Looks like my ride has just arrived!"

Sure enough, a winged ant was presently rising up from one of the buildings, moving to fly right alongside the three Avengers. "Not that it hasn't been fun, but you know what they say about three being a crowd!" Without another word, Ant-Man leapt away from Hulk and landed on the ant's back. "Now, onto the rendezvous point!"

"Right!" Wasp replied with an easy smile.

As Hulk continued to dangle from Wasp's hands, he growled uncertainly before asking, "You sure you know how to get there?"

"Pretty much!" Wasp replied with her usual enthusiasm. "I mean, we're looking for a big building with Tony's name on it! It's not like it's gonna be hard to find!"

"There is that," Hank admitted. "And we know the general direction we need to go in. Shouldn't be too hard."

Glancing between Wasp and Ant-Man and back, Hulk let out a low groan. "I hate this plan..."

"Well, it could be worse," Wasp pointed out. "I'd bet anything that Steve and Clint would trade places with you in a heartbeat!"

* * *

><p>As Captain America ran through the streets of Los Angeles, he ignored the people that paused to gawk at him. He ignored the various electronic signs and displays lining the streets, all the things that he still had such a hard time adjusting to. He shut out everything, keeping his senses primed for anything that could be considered a potential threat, all the while focusing on the map he pictured in his mind, and the route he had marked out on it.<p>

_One more block forward, then turn left at the corner. Proceed two blocks to a bar called Lucky's Strike..._ Captain America thought, recalling the precise route they had worked with JARVIS to plot out. A route that had been precisely calculated to have him be exposed to satellite surveillance when he was needed to be, to be seen entering a place that could be conceivably be connected to searching out the person's responsible for Jennifer's injuries, even spend a few minutes there asking questions, and allow him to disappear from sight when needed.

Frowning his distaste at how many rights the American people had lost, at how easy it was for some agency like SHIELD to invade the privacy of their lives, Captain America then shoved that distaste to the side before again focusing on his mission. As soon as he reached the corner, he turned left, moving at a decent pace. Just enough to convey a sense of urgency, but not so fast as to attract undo attention.

Taking note of the telltale signs of graffiti and the degradation of the buildings, Captain America counted off the blocks. When he reached the block that his goal was supposed to be on, he slowed down considerably, paying utmost attention to the signs marking the various businesses, until at last he reached the bar marked Lucky's Strike.

Frowning at the sight of the place, he paused before opening the door and entering. When he did, Captain America found that the bar's seedy exterior served only to mask an even seedier interior. It was dimly lit, , meaning that the denizens of the bar could see him clearly while he was forced to wait for his eyes to adjust. And adjust they did, allowing him a good view of the cracked paint that covered the walls, the frayed wired from which some of the lights hung. And more importantly, at the various local tough guys that were presently glaring at the costumed intruder.

The times had changed since Captain America had been frozen in the ocean waters, but certain things had remained the same. And one of those things were the kind of low-lifes that came to such establishment to nurse their drinks and grudges.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" came an unpleasant voice, followed the familiar sound of a pool ball striking another one and sending it rolling. "If it isn't the famous Captain America!" Turning towards the source of the voice, the Super Soldier scrutinized the speaker, who face was neatly shaded by an older-style hat that had seen better days, and had a pool cue in his hand. "And what brings you to our humble watering hole?"

Captain America paused to consider this. He wouldn't be able to stay long, but part of the plan entailed that he had to at least make a show of inquiring as to the circumstances behind what had happened to Jennifer. So after a moment of studying the person in question, he declared, "If you've been watching the news, then you know why I'm here. Information."

"Information?" the man in the hat repeated, feigning ignorance. Then he make an equally fake gasp of comprehension before nodding. "Oh, yeah, yeah! That's right. That, eh...lawyer that got herself blown up, right?" Making noises of disappointment, he shook his head briefly before adding, "Quite the tragedy, huh?"

"It is. And we're looking for the people responsible," Captain America returned.

"Well, you won't find them here," muttered someone off to the side. "So why don't you take your fancy shield and get the heck-?"

"Hey, hey, Rio! Ease down a bit, will ya!" the man in the hat rejoined, smiling a shark's smile. "After all, how often is it that we have such an esteemed gentleman like the good Captain in our company?" Returning his attention to the Avenger, he then shrugged helplessly. "Now, you want to ask a few questions, then fine. But first...how about a nice, friendly game of pool?"

Glancing down at the pool table in question, which looked to be in far better condition than the rest of the bar, Captain America smiled in a knowing fashion. "Very well," he declared, shifting his shield about so that it was hanging from his back. "One game. Then we'll talk."

The man in the hat just smiled that much more. Clearly, he was the resident shark of this particular pool table. "Sure thing, Captain! Just let me set up the table!" Nodding to this, Captain America watched as he moved with the air of considerable experience, putting everything in place. Once this was done, he made his way up to the Super Soldier and asked, "Tell you what, Captain. Since you're new to our fair neighborhood, why don't you go first?"

"Alright, then," Captain America replied, barely keeping his smile from blossoming into a full-blown grin as he accepted the cue. Circling the pool table, he took up position, well aware of the people still looking at him. He was an intruder in their minds, and he knew he was a potential threat in their minds. But at the same time, they didn't want to start a fight that they might not win, especially since that carried the risk of bringing the wrath of Hulk and Thor down upon their heads. So despite being ready for battle, he felt comfortable in focusing a good amount of his attention on this game as he fired the cue stick into the ball, sending the rest of the balls into motion.

To the surprise of the pool shark, two of the striped balls obediently slid into one of the holes.

_Now, this takes me back,_ Captain America thought, allowing himself a sense of nostalgia as he recalled his days during the way, when he played pool at bars not so different than this one. He then proceeded to take another position, and sank another ball. Implementing a few trick shots he had picked up along the way, he put on a show for the barflies that left them dumbstruck. With the local shark's jaw hanging open in undisguised awe as he sank the last two balls.

"There we go," Captain America decided, pausing to appraise his handiwork before coming over to the pool shark. "Good game. It's been a while since I've had a chance to play."

His mouth opening and closing seemingly at random, the pool shark slowly tore his eyes from the pool table to the man that had cleared it. "How...how did...?"

"I had a lot of practice," Captain America replied with a knowing smile. "I started playing when I realized how much calculating angles factored into this game. You'd be surprised how handy that kind of thing is in my line of work." Narrowing an eye at the fallen shark, he added, "Now, as you may recall, I have some questions I'd like to ask."

If anything, the pool shark looked even more astonished. He had expected to be questioned, possibly embroiled in a fight, but it was obvious that he had never imagined that he would be so readily beaten at his own game. A reality that left him dumbstruck, noises of amazement issuing from his mouth, until at last he finally babbled out, "Wh-what would you like to know...?"

* * *

><p>"Ha!" Hawkeye grinned as he darted to the side, narrowly evading a series of gunshots. Loosing one of his trick arrows at his assailants, he watched with considerable satisfaction as the sonic disrupter in its head activated. Before it even hit the ground, the gang members he had encountered were covering their ears, crying out in pain.<p>

_Heh! Serves you right for not wearing ultra-sonic dampeners like I have!_ Hawkeye thought as he drew back and launched two more arrows in rapid succession. Flying out at his adversaries, their heads exploded, releasing a set of nets that easily snared the lot of them. _And _that _serves you morons right for being stupid enough to pick a fight with an Avenger, let alone me!_

Satisfied with the way things were going, Hawkeye took out his Avengers ID Card. "JARVIS, could you put in a call to the LAPD? Tell them I've got a bunch of thugs with some pretty nasty firepower all wrapped up and waiting to be arrested?"

"Of course," came the uber-polite voice of Tony's AI.

"Great! Thanks!" Hawkeye replied before returning his card to his belt. Pausing to survey his captives, he let out a low sigh, for while this had been a welcome diversion, and certainly helped keep up the appearance that they were presently engrossed with investigating the car-bombing, he knew that there wasn't a lot of time before he had to reach the rendezvous point. And that meant that there wasn't a lot of time before he had to get the part of the plan that he _really _wasn't looking forward to.

_Still, I've had to do worse things. I didn't exactly enjoy them, but I did them,_ Hawkeye reminded himself, thinking of the missions he had taken while working for SHIELD, as well as everything he had done while on the run from them after being framed by Black Widow. So with a heavy groan, he paused to orient himself before starting off. "Not that it hasn't been fun, guys, but I've places to go and people to see!" he called out to the defeated thugs, waving offhandedly at them as he started off.

His SHIELD training making it relatively easy to find his way, Hawkeye began to run a veritable maze of city streets, back alleys, and underpasses. Making certain to keep to the path laid for him, he found himself leaping fences and dodging traffic, until at last he found himself in a secluded alley formed by a set of abandoned buildings. After studying them for a moment, he found the door that had been shown in the maps he and Captain America studied. Finding it locked, he retrieved a set of lock picks from his belt, and within a few seconds, had the door open.

As soon as he stepped inside, Hawkeye groaned in disgust at the musty, dust-filled air he encountered. "Aw, great! JARVIS, you sure better be right about this!" he grumbled as he took in the dimly-lit interior. Pulling out a flashlight, the archer panned it this way and that, until at last he spotted what he was looking for; a manhole set in the floor of the old building.

"Unbelievable. I've seen pretty stupid things, but who the heck would be dumb enough to put a sewer entrance in the middle of a warehouse?" Hawkeye muttered, wondering if there was a department of complete idiots that was responsible for such stupidity. Shaking his head at this, he started towards the manhole, letting out a groan as he studied it, his nose wrinkling as he scented the foul stench just below. "Great. Just great. And Cap and I have to wander around in total darkness in a sewer in the earthquake capitol of the world. How the heck did I let Stark talk me into this?" Deciding that he was probably not all that bright himself, the former SHIELD agent panned his flashlight about the interior again. "And where _is _Cap, anyway?"

"Right here, soldier," came a familiar voice, one that sent a squawk of surprise popping out of Hawkeye's mouth. Whipping about, the archer saw Captain America enter the room he was in from the far side. "Just got here myself, actually."

Watching as the living legend made his way over to him, Hawkeye groaned in dismay before recovering his cocky attitude. "Well, it's about time you got here, old man," he grinned nonchalantly. "What kept you, anyway?"

"I was doing what you were doing, Clint; putting on a show for Hill." Then Captain America shot him a clever look and added, "And getting some more intel on Trask in the process."

"Getting some...?" Hawkeye repeated blankly, only to scowl in disbelief. "Wait a sec, Cap. The whole point of what we're doing is to cover for Jennifer while she's being moved!"

"I know that. But that's no reason not to put our time to good use," Captain America evenly returned.

"But how the heck could you get any kind of info on this Trask jerk?" Hawkeye demanded. "You were only supposed to spend a couple minutes at that bar Stark picked out for you! How the heck could you get anything so quickly?"

"Simple. I won a round of pool," Captain America replied as he squatted down and picked up the manhole cover.

Wincing at the increased fumes, Hawkeye waved them away even as he continued to stare at the Super Soldier in mounting astonishment. "Wait a second...you're telling me that you somehow managed to get somebody to give you something about Trask by beating him in a game of pool?"

"That's what I'm saying," Captain America replied as he set the manhole aside.

_Of course. Why am I surprised?_ Hawkeye groaned inwardly. _You're Captain-Freaking-America! Of course you make the impossible look easy!_

"I can't guarantee the quality of the information," Captain America admitted. "But I figure that we have to start somewhere." Standing up to look Hawkeye squarely in the eye, he gestured at the waiting sewer. "Speaking of getting started..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hawkeye muttered anemically. "I don't suppose you have any noseplugs on you, do you?"

Shooting him another wry smile, Captain America reached into one of the pouches of his utility belt. "Here," he said as he handed something to Hawkeye. "This should help you breathe easier."

Accepting the object in question, Hawkeye chuckled when he realized it was a small, yet functional gas mask. "Well, well," he smiled as he slipped it over his face, the foul fumes disappearing almost immediately. "I was wondering what you kept in that belt of yours, old man." Again looking into the waiting sewer, he added, "Now, if only I could be sure Stark had a hot shower and dry cleaner waiting for us..."

"We can always hope," Captain America decided as he slipped his mask in place. "Let's get going, Hawkeye. We've still got a long way to go before we reach the rendezvous."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hawkeye groaned as the living legend descended into the sewer. Pausing just long enough to wonder how he had let himself get roped into this, he then followed Captain America into the dank, filthy darkness.

By the time Hawkeye had reached the bottom, Captain America had moved a short distance away, a flashlight of his own in hand as he oriented himself. "There," he finally announced, nodding in a particular direction. "We need to go that way."

"You sure about that?" Hawkeye wondered with a raised eyebrow. Captain America's response was to turn and fix him with a look that left him sighing. "Right. Of course you are. What was I thinking?" Eyeing the disgusting tunnel that they would have to traverse, the archer shrugged before saying, "Well, lead the way, old man."

Nodding to this, Captain America started forward, moving at a brisk, efficient pace, with Hawkeye following a short distance behind. "So, Cap, since we don't have to worry about holding our breath down here, why don't you fill me in on whatever-it-is you found out?" the archer asked nonchalantly. "It'll help me keep my mind off the muck we're slogging through."

"The people I talked to didn't tell me anything about what happened with Jennifer. But from what they told me, it sounded as if Trask has some history with her and her family," Captain America reported. "Apparently, her father, Sheriff Walters, has been trying to take Trask down for a long time now. Without any luck."

"So, her father's with the police, huh?" Hawkeye commented with a raised eyebrow. "This is starting to sound a lot more personal."

"Also, it looks like Trask has been making some big moves lately," Captain America went on. "Word has it he's been making some serious connections. Acquiring high-end technology, making moves on Roxxon Oil and other businesses, all to expand his organization."

"He's messing with Roxxon?" Hawkeye repeated with a hint of surprise. "Then he _better _have connections!"

"Why?" Captain America wondered. "You know something about Roxxon?"

"Only what was in the file SHIELD has on them, and that's enough!" Hawkeye grimly repeated. "Apparently, Roxxon used to be a completely legitimate company. Or at least a legit as any big business gets. But in the last few years, they've been branching out, even experimenting with mutagenics and robotics technology. Not the kind of people your basic gangster would want to pick a fight with." Giving Captain America a moment to digest that, the ex-SHIELD agent then asked, "So what else did you hear?"

"Not much. Just that Trask has been working on something big," Captain America reported. "Rumor has it that he's been getting tech from Stark Industries...as well as Hydra."

"Yeah? Well, if rumor is correct, Stark won't be happy!" Hawkeye commented, fully aware of the pains Tony had taken in order to keep his technology from winding up in the wrongs.

"It also means that it's that much more important that we shut this Trask character down," Captain America asserted. "If he's somehow connected to Hydra, then we can't just ignore it."

"Yeah, like we were planning on doing that before - ugh!" Cutting himself off as he felt more than heard a foul squishing underneath his boot. Jumping backwards, the archer angled the bottom of the effected foot up and panned his flashlight on it, only to groan in dismay. "Aw, _yuck!_ I _knew _this was a bad idea!"

Pausing to study the damage done, Captain America then declared, "Just keep moving, soldier. We still have a long way to go. And a lot of work ahead of us."

"Yeah, I know, I know," Hawkeye muttered sourly, trying in vain to dislodge the globby mass that was presently adhering to his boot. "Man, I swear, I'm gonna get Stark for this! Getting us to traipse through a sewer while he takes the cushy part of the plan all for himself!"

"Tony's doing his part in this, just like the rest of us," Captain America commented in a steady voice. "For now, let's just focus on the task at hand. The sooner we get to the rendezvous, the better."

Rolling his eyes at the steady manner with which the living legend spoke, Hawkeye grumbled, "Fine, whatever! But just for the record, I am _not _paying to have this thing cleaned! Stark can pick up the bill, or he can pick arrows out of his butt!"

* * *

><p>Something was wrong.<p>

Hill didn't know what it was. It wasn't something obvious. And yet, no matter how many times she looked at the surveillance reports from Los Angeles, studied the satellite feed, something twisting about in her stomach told her she was missing something. Something big.

_But what could it be?_ Hill wondered irritably as she watched the current satellite data. Data that showed an Avengers' Quinjet presently on course for New York City. A course that the SHIELD helicarrier presently blocked, with every agent onboard on standby and ready to go into action. It's state-of-the-art cloaking systems were online, and she had already arranged so that any local satellites wouldn't be positioned to reveal them to the Avengers, so the odds of them being detected before the Quinjet came within range were slim to none. And they had been watching the Avengers' activities in Los Angeles, and there was nothing to indicate that they were up to something.

And yet...

"Quartermain!" Hill barked, trying to keep focused. To ground her thoughts in facts that she could back up, not nagging suspicions. "How much longer until the Quinjet reaches our position?"

"If they maintain their current speed and trajectory, ten minutes, sir," Quartermain obediently replied.

Her frown deepening, Hill then asked, "What's the situation in Los Angeles, Woo? Any new activity from the Avengers there?"

"Not really, sir," Woo nervously answered. "We monitored Captain America asking some questions about Trask, and Hawkeye rounding up some of the local toughs. And Iron Man was recently sighted scanning the area where the car bombing took place. But we haven't seen any of them in the last few minutes."

This bit of information twisting about in her stomach, reinforcing the bad feeling she had, Hill then asked, "And there hasn't been any sign of Thor, Ant-Man, or Wasp?"

"No, sir," Woo nervously admitted. "We caught sight of Thor flying away from Los Angeles, but then we lost track of him. And there's been no sign of the others."

Hill didn't like that. Not in the least. Conceivably, it was possible that Ant-Man and Wasp were either still at the hospital or had shrunk down before exiting. SHIELD satellites were good, but even they could potentially miss something the size of a bug. But it didn't explain Thor's sudden disappearance, or the actions of the others. All of which indicated that the Avengers were up to something.

_But what? What could they be up to?_ Hill demanded with increasing levels of annoyance. Because no matter how she looked at it, there was nothing else they could possibly be up to. Facts were facts; political asylum was the only thing that they could use against her. The only way they could keep the Hulkbusters from taking Hulk and Walters without breaking the law and giving her what she needed to arrest them all. There simply was nothing else they could do.

And yet...

_Could I have missed something? Could they have thought of something I didn't?_ Hill wondered, only to give a mental shake of her head a moment later. _No. Don't think that, Hill. There's nothing else they can do. No other legal way out. Because if they are up to something sneaky, then it'll be something illegal. Something you can lock them up for. The only way the Avengers can win is if that Quinjet reaches the Wakandan Embassy. And that's not gonna happen._

Taking this resolution and drilling it into her mind, Hill narrowed her eyes sharply at the approaching Quinjet. It wouldn't be long now. "Prep all Mandroids for deployment. Ready the fighters and charge weapons," she announced. "We'll wait until we have target lock on the Quinjet, and _then _we'll order them to surrender."

"Yes, sir," Quartermain replied, his voice betraying his lack of enthusiasm for this assignment.

But Hill didn't care. As long as they followed orders, she couldn't have cared less about their personal feelings regarding this matter. So she nodded, and scanned the readouts before her, watching as the Quinjet drew ever closer. Within minutes, it would be within weapons' range, and...

"Sir! I'm reading an atmospheric anomaly!" came an alarmed voice from the background.

"What kind of anomaly?" Hill demanded, only for her question to be answered for her. All around the helicarrier, dark storm clouds appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. Huge, ugly thunderheads that swelled and billowed about the flying fortress, carrying with them all the fury of nature. In the blink of an eye, the sunny skies they had been soaring through were replaced by sheets of rain and jags of lightning.

"Status!" Hill demanded as the weather rapidly turned from bad to worse.

"There's a massive drop an air pressure occurring around the helicarrier! Humidity and electrostatic activity are both skyrocketing!" reported an agent in the background. "Wind speeds are increasing, and -!"

The agent was interrupted when something shook the helicarrier hard, like it had been struck by a massive fist. Catching herself on a nearby control panel, Hill as barely able to keep from being knocked to the floor. "Arrgh!" she cried out as the massive airship shook again. "Report!"

"Sir! We're getting serious storm activity, including wind shear! And it's getting worse quickly!" Woo reported fearfully. "At this rate, we're going to be sitting right in the middle of a tornado!"

_A tornado that just happened to come out of nowhere, just when that Quinjet is coming our way?_ Hill thought incredulously as she put it together. "It's Thor!" she snarled hatefully. "Full sensor sweep, people! I need a lock on his location right now!"

"It's no good, sir!" Woo cried out as he worked his station. "The storm's scrambling the sensors! We're flying blind here!"

"Don't you dare give me excuses, mister!" Hill shot back as the helicarrier shifted to the side, groaning as another heavy wind knocked it. "Recalibrate the sensory array, and -!"

A blinding flash of lightning followed almost immediately by a deafening crash of thunder cut Hill off, again very nearly sending her tumbling to the floor. "Quartermain! Get us out of here!"

"I can't, sir! We're stuck in the middle of a tornado here!" Quartermain reported fearfully. As Hill turned to look at him, he gestured at a sensory readout that confirmed his statement. "If we try and move out of it, it'll tear us to pieces!"

"Then descend! Take us down beneath the storm!" Hill promptly demanded. "I am not gonna sit back and watch as a bunch of vigilantes makes fools out of us!"

"I...I'll try, sir!" Quartermain replied frantically as he worked the controls. "But as bad as this thing is getting, I don't know how I'm going to...to...huh?"

Quartermain's words falling flat in his mouth, Hill was about to ask what was wrong now when she saw it for herself. Just as suddenly as the storm had appeared, it was now breaking apart. The winds and lightning faded an instant, and the clouds were dissipating, leaving behind only the pleasant blue skies that they had been enjoying previously.

"Sir, I...I don't..." Woo sputtered out uncertainly. "Atmospheric conditions are returning to normal."

"I can see that," Hill retorted, already aware of what this meant. "What about the Quinjet? Are we still tracking it?"

"Uh...yes, sir," Woo hesitantly reported. "It's...already past us, sir. It's out of weapons' range. Still on course for New York City."

Forcing down the temptation to smash her fist upon the console she was standing next to, Hill then demanded, "What about Thor? Is there any sign of him?"

"No, sir. We've got nothing within sensor range, sir," Woo reported somberly. "There's no sign of him on satellite, either."

Despite not being surprised by this, Hill was still angered. _So, was that it, Avengers? Was your little act in Los Angeles just a smokescreen to keep us from focusing on Thor, or is there something else to it? Some other little trick you have in mind?_ Grumbling deep in her throat, the SHIELD director shoved her annoyances to the side. _Well, whatever it is you're up to, it's still not going to work._

"Sir?" Quartermain asked, snapping Hill from her thoughts. "What are your orders?"

"Contact SHIELD Central! And set course of Los Angeles!" Hill declared with heavy vehemence. "I don't know what game Stark is playing, but I do know he's going to pay for it!"

* * *

><p>As Thor hovered far above the SHIELD helicarrier, above Midgard's atmosphere, Mjolnir still crackled with the residual power he had unleashed upon their current aggressors. All the while the son of Odin scowled unhappily.<p>

_All this is such a waste,_ Thor thought somberly as he began his descent, making certain to avoid coming into the line of sight of the mechanical eyes and ears that had been set in place above the mortal realm. _We __exert ourselves defending innocents from those whose sworn duty is to protect those innocents. And all because of the arrogance and conceit of a single mortal._

As Midgard's warm atmosphere beckoned to him, Thor knew what his kin would think of such actions. That it was proof that the mortals were inferior to Asgardians, not worth the effort of protecting. But he knew differently. He had seen different sides of the mortals, their capacity for courage. And perhaps as importantly, the capacity of his fellow Asgardians to behave just as Maria Hill did. And from the one Asgardian that was to be respected above all.

_I do not tolerate my father's efforts to control my fate, the way he does whatever he needs to keep me under his control, even at the risk of our people. And I certainly do not tolerate these same things from you, Maria Hill,_ Thor thought heatedly. _One day, I will return to Asgard and confront Odin for sealing me here. But for now, I will make certain that your foolishness does not destroy that which you claim to protect._

With this silent vow echoing in his mind, Thor flew down to city known as Los Angeles. Already focusing on the next phase of their plan.

* * *

><p>It was a peaceful day in New York as Spider-Man swung above the crowded streets below. Or at least as peaceful as the Big Apple ever got.<p>

It was a comfortable afternoon, and Spider-Man was making his way back home after spending a fair portion of his day at school stuffed in his own locker. The pollution levels were quite minimal by the standards of New York, there was a fair wind, and it was comfortably warm out. The perfect day for unwinding with a bit of webslinging, all without worry of anything worse than a mugger or some other thug ruining his day.

_Of course, we just know that isn't gonna last,_ Spider-Man knew, thinking of the madness that had been New York in recent times. Protecting civilians and bashing apart killer robots during an alien invasion, duking it out with ice monsters while trying not to freeze in his tights, and taking out some of the Hydra and AIM jerks that had picked Manhattan for their battleground, all the while getting pictures of said events to keep Jolly Jonah Jameson happy and the back account of Peter Parker modestly content. _Still, things have been pretty quiet since I sent Dr. Octopus packing. Here's hoping that it stays for a little..._

A faint tingling started in his brain, prompting Spider-Man to groan heavily. "Ugh, you'd think I know by now not to even _think _stuff like that!" he muttered sourly as he leapt from his webline and alighted upon a nearby building, already scanning for whatever was setting off his early warning sense. "Okay, so what is it this time? Atlanteans? Giant robots? Or just another supervillain team-up?" Recalling how many bruises he had gotten the last time the Sinister Six had come after him, Spider-Man's warning sense prompted him to look in a particular direction. Only to gape at the sight of a large red-and-white jet cruising a short distance above the city.

"Whoa!" Spider-Man gaped as he took in what could only be an Avengers' Quinjet approaching his general direction. Something that, while big and potentially dangerous if he got in its way, was definitely not a threat. "I've never seen one of _those _babies this close before!"

In an instant, the science geek part of his mind took control. Smiling as he tried to imagine the kind of technology that drove that marvel of science, Spider-Man reached for his utility belt and brought forth an efficient miniature camera. "I've just _got _to get some up-close shots of _that _beauty!" he enthused, watching as the Quinjet drew closer. Holding up the camera to his eye, he zoomed in with practiced ease, and snapped a good, clean shot of it. He then waited a moment for it to come closer, and took another shot. "C'mon, baby!" he grinned as the aerial shuttle came even closer. "Let me get a good, solid shot from the side, and -!"

It was at that moment his spider-sense kicked into overdrive. Spider-Man had forgotten about the dull tingling in his excitement, but immediately tensed for action as his warning sense started tingling up a storm. "Hey, what the -?" he started, only to instinctively leap to the side as an energy blast shot down from above, striking the Quinjet's thrusters. This was quickly followed by a hailstorm of additional blasts that ripped into the shuttle's armored wings and hull. Plumes of smoke started belching from the sputtering engines.

_"No!"_ Spider-Man cried out, realizing what was about to happen. Acting on automatic pilot, he hurriedly placed his camera against the wall of the building and webbed it in place, hoping that it would pick up at least some of what was about to happen. That done, he pushed himself off the building wall, shooting a webline and swinging from it even as the Quinjet's sputtering engine failed and sent it plunging down towards the busy streets below.

"Gotta move fast!" Spider-Man declared as he released his webline, sending himself flying beneath the plummeting aerial shuttle. Time seemed to slow down for him as he looked about, taking aim at the various buildings surrounding him and firing multiple lines of web at them. He created line after line after line of web, dozens of them in the span of a few seconds, all the while the Quinjet plunged down towards him. "Oh, _please,_ let this hold!" he pleaded as he hurriedly wove the numerous lines into an improvised web. Launching another webline, he swung out of harm's way even as the Quinjet fell into the crude crash net. His heart thundering in his chest as he watched the wrecked shuttle stretch the net out, it's descent slowed, but not stopped.

As the people beneath the Quinjet cried out in fear, some of them running for their lives while others froze in place, Spider-Man went to work, launching more weblines at the shuttle and anchoring it to more buildings. Working desperately, he created as many tethers as he could, his imagination conjuring up horrific images of what would happen if he failed.

The Quinjet slowed, but didn't stop. It continued to come ever closer to the cars and trucks below, their owners panicking as some of the weblines stretched taut, even fraying somewhat. But finally, after a seeming eternity, the downed shuttle slowed to a halt. It was dangling above the streets, it's nose inches away from guy's sports car, but it had stopped.

_And nobody's hurt,_ Spider-Man thought with considerable relief as he came to land on the city streets. "I just hope we can get this thing out of here in an hour," he added aloud, "or will there ever be a mess on the city's hands!"

Heaving a deep sigh of relief, Spider-Man then focused on his spider-sense. It was still tingling away, though not as severely as before. "Okay. Now let's see who's crazy enough to pull something like this?" he muttered as he zeroed in on what was setting off his warning sense. "Another bunch of alien invaders, or...huh?"

Of all the potential threats Spider-Man could have imagined, nothing prepared him for what he saw. Descending upon the downed Quinjet were dozen SHIELD Mandroids, followed up by six SHIELD fighter jets. "Attention, Avengers! By the authority of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, you are hereby under arrest!" came an amplified metallic voice. "Surrender yourselves and Jennifer Walters by order of SHIELD!"

"Whoa, wait a sec! SHIELD's trying to arrest the _Avengers?"_ Spider-Man incredulously demanded as he narrowed his eyes at the Mandroid forces. "And who the heck is Jennifer Walters?"

"I repeat, Avengers, you are under arrest!" came the same officious voice. "You have ten seconds to exit your ship and surrender, or we will be forced to use force!"

"Yeah, really great idea, jerks. Try to push the Avengers around," Spider-Man muttered sourly as he fired a webline and launched himself up towards them. "Hey, you! Earth to the bad Iron Man cosplayers society!" he called out as he landed on a nearby building. "In case you hadn't noticed, you nearly caused that Quinjet to go splat on a whole bunch of people!"

One of the Mandroids turned to look at the webslinger. "This does not concern you, Spider-Man," came that same voice. "This is SHIELD official business. If you attempt to intervene, you will be fired upon."

"Right, right, sure," Spider-Man grumbled, utterly unimpressed. "So, any relation to a guy named J. Jonah Jameson?"

The Mandroid the Spider-Man was coming to think of as the Boss Mandroid seemed to glare at him for a time before returning his attention to the downed Quinjet. "Your time is up, Avengers! All Mandroids, move in!"

"Man, this is either gonna be really awesome or really, _really _bad," Spider-Man decided as he went into motion, trying to get a better view of what was happening. "Of course, considering that the Avengers have the same kind of relationship with SHIELD that I have with JJ, my money would be on bad."

Watching as the Mandroids set upon the Quinjet, Spider-Man kept watching, not sure what to expect. The Avengers to come out and ask what was going on, quietly surrender, or just smash the heck out of the idiots SHIELD had been dumb enough to fancy tin suits to. Suspecting that no matter what happened, people would be in danger because of it, the webslinger watched as the Mandroids forced the gangway open and started inside.

The relative silence that fell upon them was all but palpable. Spider-Man continued to wait, anticipating the Mandroids being sent flying out, or the sounds of a fight in progress. Something on that order.

What he didn't expect was the Mandroids that had forced their way into the Quinjet to suddenly reappear, with one of them crying out, "Sir! The Avengers aren't here!"

While Spider-Man felt his jaw crash to the roof he was standing out, the Boss Mandroid gaped at his minions. "Not here?" he incredulously demanded. "What do you mean, not here?"

"We performed a full scan of the Quinjet, sir!" the reporting Mandroid answered as he and the others rejoined the Boss Mandroid. "There's no sign of anybody onboard!"

"Are you certain?" the Boss Mandroid demanded. "Could they have shrunk down?"

The other Mandroid replied, "We checked for that, sir! Nothing!"

As the Boss Mandroid digested this, Spider-Man was recovering from his shock. "Wow! You SHIELD guys shot down a Quinjet over a busy New York street, and you didn't even bother to check to see if the people you were after were even onboard?" he called out in as derisive a voice as he could manage. "I guess they'll make anybody an agent these days. Do you even have a minimum IQ requirement?"

The Boss Mandroid speared Spider-Man with a nasty glare before returning his attention to his troops. "Let's get this wreck out of here," he grumbled sourly. "I'll contact the Director."

_What? It's not bad enough that you shot a Quinjet out of the sky without any reason? Now you're just gonna make off with it?_ Spider-Man grumbled inwardly. _Sorry, metalhead, not happening!_

With this thought in mind, Spider-Man again reached into his utility belt, and retrieved a special cell phone. One that had been given to him as a gift by what was the unlikeliest of friends. Flipping it open and punching the speed dial, the webslinger began to distance himself from the SHIELD forces, not wanting them to see what he was up to and nip his call in the bud. "C'mon, c'mon...where are you?" Spidey wondered as the phone continued to ring. "Out with Girlfriend #182?"

Thinking about how thrilled he would be if he could just win himself Girlfriend #1, Spider-Man was soon rewarded someone on the other end of the line picking up the phone. "Hel-lo! You've reached the incomparable Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four!"

"Whoa, incomparable! What was that, five syllables?" Spider-Man sniped. "A new personal best for you, Flame-Face!"

"Well, well, Web-Breath! It's sure been a while!" Johnny retorted. "So how's New York's most famous public menace?"

"Wishing I had more time to compliment you on proving how pathetically ineffective American education is, but I've got a situation here," Spider-Man replied, watching as the Mandroids busied themselves, trying to clear away the traffic while people were yelling at them at the top of their lungs. "Listen, the FF's tight with the Avengers, right?"

"Well, Reed hangs out with Iron Man and Ant-Man when he's not locked away in his lab. And Ben and me, we pop on by the mansion every now and then for a quick round of cards." Practically seeing the smirk on Johnny's face, Spider-Man listened as he asked, "Why? You hoping that I'd put in a good word with them for you?"

"Naw. That'd be worse than anything JJ could say about me," Spider-Man shot back. "Here's the thing. SHIELD just shot down one of the Avengers' Quinjets."

"Wha- shot down?" Johnny demanded, suddenly all business, or as close to it as he got. "What for?"

"SHIELD's trying to arrest the Avengers! Them and somebody called Jennifer Walters!" Spider-Man reported. "Only, it turned out the Quinjet was empty! It must've been on some kind of auto-pilot!"

"Sounds like the Avengers have got something serious going," Johnny declared.

"Tell me about it," Spider-Man agreed. "Listen, can you get the Thing or somebody else over here to talk to these armored jerks and find out what's going on? And maybe get that Quinjet out of here before SHIELD hauls it away?"

"Not a problem. There's nothing Ben would like better than to have the Hulk owing him a favor!" Johnny cracked.

"Great. I'll keep an eye on things here until he shows up. Then later I'll drop by the Baxter Building so we can try and figure out what the heck is going on," Spider-Man declared as he made his way back to the building where he had left his camera. "If SHIELD's going all JJ on the Avengers, you can bet it ain't good news for anybody!"

"There isn't anybody out there dumb enough to take _that _bet!" Johnny shot back. "But yeah, I better tell Reed what's going on. Assuming I can get him to pay attention to something other than whatever experiment he's working on today."

"Great! I'll be over as soon as I can! Later!" Spider-Man replied before terminating the signal. Bounding over to his camera, he found it hanging right where he had left it. "And with any luck, I'll be bringing some nice, juicy pictures of SHIELD being jerks to put on the blog!"

* * *

><p>"Whew! There it is!" Wasp sighed in relief as she studied the factory complex just ahead of them.<p>

"You sure that's the right place?" Hulk rumbled unhappily as he continued to dangle from her grasp.

"Well, it sure looks like the place Tony showed us," Wasp replied, glancing down at the green goliath. Who was definitely less than happy about being busted down to the size he was at. "And it's on the right street and everything. So yeah, I guess this is it!"

"Now all we have to do is get inside," Ant-Man commented as the winged ant he was riding continued to carry him onwards. Nodding to this, Wasp quickly moved to follow, passing over the busy streets and barbed wire fences as they headed towards the seemingly abandoned factory. Though far from the largest Stark complex she had seen, it was decent-sized, and looked to be in fair condition. "We need to head towards that building over there. The tall one."

"Right," Hulk rumbled as they flew towards the building in question. Unlike the rest of the complex, it had the feel of an office-building, and was like where they administrators of the factory had been stationed when it had been operational. "So how do we get in?"

"Easy. Tony had JARVIS program the building to react to our ID Cards," Ant-Man reported as they drew in close. "As soon as we get close enough..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a familiar beeping was heard. With her hands full, Wasp couldn't bring out her ID Card, but she could watch Ant-Man as he grabbed his. Watching as the card flashed, the winged wonder was then surprised when one of the nearby windows cracked just the tiniest bit open. Just enough for a trio of insect-sized heroes to enter. "That happens," Ant-Man concluded, urging his steed on. "Okay, let's go." Wordlessly, Wasp followed, and soon found herself gaping in surprise.

While the factory had been fairly typical in appearance from the outside, it was anything but on the inside. Instead of an office or some other business room that she had expected to, she found herself in what looked like a small, high-tech classroom. There was a desk at one end, and a couple chairs already in place. "Greetings, Dr. Pym, Ms. Van Dyne, Hulk," came the familiar voice of JARVIS. "Mr. Stark and Dr. Ridge are eagerly awaiting your presence."

"Tony's already here? That's a first," Ant-Man commented with a hint of surprise.

"Yeah, like you're the picture of punctuality, Hank," Wasp commented, vividly remembering what had happened at the first formal meeting of the Avengers. "So, where are they, JARVIS?"

"This way," JARVIS replied as a series of lights started flashing sequentially in the ceiling. "Follow the lights. They will lead you to their location."

"Right. Will do," Wasp said agreeably before flying onward, with Ant-Man quick to follow.

Making their way into a hallway, the unlikely trio followed the lights until they arrived in another room. This one was much larger, with several rooms and staircases branching off from it. And in the center of that room, surrounded by various devices, including the medical equipment they had brought to Los Angeles, was Tony and Dr. Ridge. "Hey, Tony," Wasp called as they flew towards them. "So, I guess your part of the plan went off without any trouble!"

"Hey, Jan! Great timing! And I see you brought the others, too!" Tony commented, wearing nothing but the skin-tight interface suit he wore beneath his armor. "And Hulk! Looks like you've lost a few pounds! Looks good on you!"

Growling deep in his throat, Hulk looked up at Wasp. His expression saying everything about what he felt about that particular comment. "Okay, big green! I get the idea!" she groaned wearily before looking at her fellow size-shifter. "C'mon, let's get Hulk back to his normal size before he gets any madder!"

"Right," Ant-Man nodded even as he leapt from his steed's back, his reduced weight allowing him to land safely on his feet. Flying down to join him, Wasp set Hulk down before letting go and landing herself. "Just like before. We stay in contact with Hulk, and we grow on three."

"Right," Wasp nodded as she again wrapped her arms about one of Hulk's. Ant-Man took hold of the gamma mutant's free hand while pressing his thumb to his belt control. "One...two...three!"

As one, Wasp and Ant-Man triggered their growth, and as one, they and the Hulk returned to their normal sizes. When the light from the Pym Particles faded and the two size-shifters released him, the green goliath quickly held out his arms and looked them over. "There. That's better," he rumbled easily before looking at Tony. "So, Stark, you got everything ready?"

"Ready and waiting, big guy!" Tony grinned. "Dr. Ridge and I just finished setting up the medical equipment. Everything's set."

"And you're sure there's no way Hill spotted you while you were moving this stuff here?" Wasp wondered.

"Relax, Jan! I brought all this stuff here with some remote-controlled stealth drones I cooked up. You know, the ones I cooked up to pull me out of a bad situation quick and quietly if my armor gets trashed?" Tony explained. "Once we got the medical equipment out of the hospital in those ambulances, it was just a matter of using the drones to get the equipment out of the ambulances and in here!"

"Along with us," Dr. Ridge muttered sourly. "I still don't think my stomach has caught up with me yet..."

"What about the others?" Ant-Man wondered. "And where's Jennifer?"

"That's what _I _want to know!" Hulk rumbled irritably.

"Well, Cap and Hawkeye are probably on their way here. And JARVIS says that Thor's on his way back now," Tony quickly reported. "As for Jennifer...she should be arriving any second now. Right, JARVIS?"

"Indeed, sir," JARVIS replied. Seconds later, one of the doors opened, revealing the Iron Man armor floating on the other side.

"So, how's our guest of honor, JARVIS?" Tony inquired as the armor floated towards them. "I trust you were gentle with her?"

"Extremely so, sir," JARVIS reported as the armor hovered towards an alcove like the ones Tony used to don and remove the Iron Man armor. "As you instructed, I had the armor fly to the site of Ms. Walters unfortunate accident and perform a scan of the area. Then I had it rendezvous with a stealth drone for transport here."

"And you kept a close eye on her vitals the entire time, I trust?" Tony asked as the armor positioned itself in the alcove.

"Certainly, sir," JARVIS reported as the alcove went to work, disassembling the Iron Man armor...and revealing the unconscious form of Jennifer within. "And you'll be happy to know that her vital signs and overall physical condition has steadily improved, even in the time she was in the armor."

"Great to hear it, JARVIS," Tony replied as he wheeled a gurney up to the alcove. "Ant-Man, Wasp, could you two give me a hand here?"

"No problem!" Wasp enthused, rushing up to them with Ant-Man. As the last of the Iron Man armor was lifted away from Jennifer's prone form, the three of them gently took hold of her and easily lifted her onto the gurney.

"Let's get this poor woman back onto the medical table," Dr. Ridge fussed unhappily. "Who knows what kind of damage that armor might have done to her!"

"Rest assured, Dr. Ridge, that in no way was Ms. Walters harmed in transit," JARVIS assured him. "The Iron Man armor is designed to function as a second skin, and is even capable of -"

"JARVIS, let's not argue with the good doctor right now, okay?" Tony instructed the AI as the three of them wheeled Jennifer over to the medical table and equipment. "Let's just get her on the table so she can get some rest."

"Very well, sir," JARVIS replied.

"What about SHIELD?" Hulk rumbled irritably as he kept his distance, not wanting his gamma emissions to harm Jennifer. "Do they go for the decoy?"

"Did they ever! Hill would have choked on the bait if she had swallowed it any faster!" Tony replied with an even grin. "And Thor got the Quinjet past the helicarrier like a charm!"

"Did it make it to the Wakandan Embassy?" Wasp worriedly asked.

The way Tony's smile faltered was all the answer she needed. "Unfortunately, no," he admitted. "A bunch of Mandroids intercepted it and shot it down just before it reached the Embassy."

"Shot it down? Over New York?" Ant-Man demanded even as Wasp sucked in a worried gasp. "Was anybody hurt?"

"Fortunately, no. Though no thanks to SHIELD," Tony grimly reported. "According to the news feeds, New York's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was able to provide a crash net for the Quinjet before it pancaked anybody." Then their resident inventor added, "Unfortunately, this means that Hill's onto our little distraction. So it's only a matter of time before the Hulkbusters start snooping around, trying to find us."

"If Ross shows his face around here..." Hulk growled lowly.

"Hulk, please. Violence won't help you, or Jennifer," Ant-Man reminded the green goliath.

"What about Phase 2?" Wasp wondered hopefully. "How's that coming along?"

"Well, I've got everything set up on my end. And Panther, he's got the rest of it in the works," Tony informed them. "But we can't call him and ask how he's doing. Not with SHIELD looking for us." Letting out a low sigh, the leader of the Avengers eventually admitted, "Right now, all we can really do is hope that he gets what we need before Ross and Hill manage to track us down."

"He better hurry, then," Ant-Man muttered somberly. "Because if they find us first, then we're gonna be up against a wall. In bad way."

* * *

><p><em>"Empty?"<em> Hill repeated incredulously as she stared at the Mandroid reporting to her. "The Quinjet was _empty_ when you shot it down?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," replied the Mandroid. "We performed a complete scan of the Quinjet, sir, but all we could find was a hospital gurney. We're getting ready to take it back to SHIELD Central, but -"

"You're telling me that you shot the Quinjet down without even attempting contact with it?" Hill demanded with increasing ire. "And that you didn't even try to stop it from crashing?"

"But - sir, we were going to deploy magnetic grapples before it crashed!" the Mandroid protested. "But then, Spider-Man showed up, and he caught the thing in a web before we could do anything!"

"So what you're saying is that you not endangered the general populace of New York, you also made one of those masked lunatics look like a hero at the expense of SHIELD's image." Her scowl intensifying, the Director of SHIELD then ordered, "Get the Quinjet back to SHIELD Central and impound it immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" the Mandroid responded even as Hill cut the signal, groaning heavily as she fought the urge to massage the headache she was now getting.

_A decoy...a blasted decoy!_ Hill thought, unable to believe how stupid she had been. The Quinjet had been a distraction, something to keep her busy and buy the Avengers the time they needed for something else. All the while inflicting further damage on SHIELD's reputation. _Alright, Avengers...you want to play games? Then I'll give you a game that you won't forget! A game that I won't let you win!_

"Quartermain, contact General Ross! Tell him that the Avengers have gone into hiding with Hulk and Walters, and I want them found!" Hill irately ordered. "Have him search every Stark-owned building in Los Angeles! As soon as we get there, we'll join in the search as well!"

Quartermain was clearly hesitant, but eventually he nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And tell that if he _does _find them, he's authorized to use whatever means necessary to take the Avengers down!" Hill added with deadly vehemence. "I am done giving them chances to work for us. As of this moment, the Avengers are all fugitives from the law!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I was really hoping to get the final phase of the Avengers' plan for getting Hill out of their hair in this chapter, but as is often the case with me, things ran longer than I expected. Still, I hope that you will all read and review! And maybe check out my other stories while you're at it?<p>

For this chapter, I wanted to show that the Avengers aren't just actively covering for Jennifer being moved, but also working on finding out about Trask and how to take them down. Which is what led to the scene with Captain America in the bar. I hope that bit worked out.

Also, Spider-Man seemed to be the perfect hero to being the viewpoint of the events in New York when SHIELD brought down the Quinjet. Given that he has a camera on hand, you can bet that that little mistake will come back to haunt them!

Kairan, thank you for your kind words. And indeed, Hill might have the best of intentions, but those are the things that the path to hell is paved with. She's focused more on what's good for SHIELD than what's good for anyone else. And Ross...well, I think we can safely say he's long since gone past the bend.

8fangirl8, I'm glad you're enjoying this story. And yup, She-Hulk has many great qualities, and deserves better treatment than she's gotten.

Rassilon001, I figured it would just make sense that Bruce and Hank would be cautious about giving Jennifer Hulk's blood, given the events in Gamma World. So I decided the story would work better if I had them taking precautions. Nicolas Trask is She-Hulk's first big enemy, and I'll consider having him being connected to Bolivar Trask. And I would like to be able to write stories for shows such as this as a living. As for what happens next in dealing with Ross and Hill...I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see.

GreenScar1990, Hulk and Wasp do get along swimmingly in this series. And yup, SHIELD and the Hulkbusters getting taken to court for their actions is one of my big plans. Yup, Hill's rigid view of justice and need to be in control of everything certainly puts her in the same category as the kind of people she's supposed to be taking down. I just hope you enjoy the comeuppance they eventually get.

The13thGirlWithoutASoul, thank you. The way that some people use the law to their advantage and so on is really sickening. Including those who are supposed to uphold it.

Laura's court, I'm glad you liked the bonding scene. I had fun writing it.

Gundam Kaiser, I never said that Hill didn't have some valid points. The problem in this case is her rigid, black-and-white outlook on the world. And the situations you mentioned with Hulk and the problems with superhumans are something I'm going to address in later chapters.


	6. On the Brink of War

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 6: On the Brink of War

As T'Challa stood waiting within the city hall of Los Angeles, he couldn't help but feel ill at ease.

Part of the problem, he had realized some time ago, was the clothing he now wore. As part of their plan, T'Challa had been forced to shed the ceremonial costume of the Black Panther, something that had been difficult in and of itself, despite the necessity of disguising Ant-Man's appearance. But the simple medical garment he had donned before getting into the ambulance that had carried him to this place was a light and a bit drafty, not at all like the comfortable Wakandan robes he was used to, or the protective costume that he donned for battle. And while he had become somewhat accustomed to the feeling of being out of place in the world outside his homeland, without the mantle of Black Panther, that sensation was made even more pronounced.

But the main problem, the problem that was causing T'Challa's insides to twist about uncomfortably despite the fact that he had reminded himself over and over again of how essential his task was, was the fact that he was not with his friends, his fellow Avengers. He was alone, completely unarmed, too far away from the others to help them if they needed his aide, and perhaps worst of all, even if he were equipped for battle, he still would not be able to join his friends if the need arose.

_This has to be done,_ T'Challa told himself again, these words practically a mantra to keep him focused on the job at hand. _Everybody has their part to play in this, and this is your part. And just as it is important for them to carry out their tasks, it is equally vital that you carry out yours._

And it was true. Everybody had their part to play in this plan, the plan that the Black Panther had devised in order to help his friends. And ultimately, his role in this was ultimately the most important. For there was no getting around the fact that everything rode on what T'Challa was doing. Only he had the connections needed to make this work.

But knowing that did not make the seemingly endless wait he was forced to endure any less merciless. In fact, being forced to wait like this gave T'Challa even more time to think about what could be happening to his friends...and another day in the past when he had been forced to stand by helplessly and watch as an atrocity was committed. Again a helpless prisoner of laws being manipulated by the cruel and malicious.

_Just like...that night..._ T'Challa thought, unable to stop himself from flashing back to the moment of horror that was forever burned into his mind. Recalling the sensation of the rain falling down upon him, the scent of the mud, blood, and sweat that rose up from the ceremonial battlegrounds of the Panther Tribe on the night M'Baku the Man-Ape challenged T'Chaka to battle for the throne of Wakanda. A battle M'Baku had won through deception. A challenge T'Chaka had been forced to accept by the misguided laws of the old ways. _And now...it's happening again...and like before, I am forced to stand helpless and wait. While my friends..._

Wincing as his thoughts took this turn, T'Challa closed his eyes for a moment, just long enough to push his inner demons aside, if only for a moment. _No. I will not do this. Nothing I can do will change the past, and torturing myself will not help my father, myself, or my friends,_ the king of Wakanda sternly reminded himself. _And as is said in Wakanda, one needs but patience and wisdom to conquer any challenge._

Pausing to wish that he had more wisdom and a great deal more patience, T'Challa was snapped back to the moment by the sound of his cell phone ringing. After a moment's confusion, he brought out his phone and snapped it open. Looking at the Caller ID, he felt his heart jump with hope. This was one of the calls he had been waiting for. Quickly pressing one of the buttons, he placed the device to his ear. "Yes?"

"Everything is in readiness, Lord T'Challa!" came a familiar voice, one of his aides from the Wakandan Embassy. "I've made the necessary arrangements with the council. All that is needed if your signature...and his...to make this official."

"Excellent," T'Challa returned with a sense of satisfaction. The first positive feeling he had experienced that day. "Have the necessary documentation faxed to my location, and I will take care of the rest."

"Yes, Lord T'Challa." A beat passed, and then, in a more hesitant voice, the aide asked, "My Lord...are you sure this is wise?"

"You need not worry, my friend," T'Challa replied even as he started towards one of the desks. Not wasting a moment now that he was finally able to act to some degree. "All communications to and from the Wakandan Embassy are properly protected. As long as SHIELD is unaware of my location, they will not learn of what we have planned. And I've seen to it myself that they will not find me."

"I know that, but..." Again, the aide hesitated before admitting, "That's...not what I was concerned about."

_I know that, my friend,_ T'Challa thought somberly. He had already anticipated that there would be resistance to his actions, despite his role as king. Simply because what he was doing was controversial, to say the least.

"My lord...what you are doing..." the aide began nervously. "By giving this...this creature -"

"This _man, _my friend," T'Challa broke in pointedly. "No matter what you may have heard of him, what you may have seen of him, the Hulk is no monster. He is a man. He is one of my fellow Avengers." Giving this a moment to sink, the man who wore the mantle of Black Panther went on to add, "We owe the Avengers a great debt of thanks. They have done so much for us all."

"But...the Hulk?" the aide repeated. "He has done nothing for us, my lord. He..."

"He has fought for the sake of the world. Wakanda included," T'Challa broke in with greater heat. "He is a warrior, like the rest of us. And I will not abandon that."

"I...I was not suggesting that you should," the aide nervously explained. "But...to allow an outsider to -"

"I will not allow my friends and allies to come to harm. And I will do whatever it takes to help them," T'Challa shot back, getting closer to losing his temper than he liked. So many of his people were still prisoners of the old ways of thinking. Where anything and anyone who originated from outside of Wakanda were the enemy, and to be shunned at all costs.

"The Hulk cannot help his origins, but he can still choose his own fate. And through his choices, he has become a true hero," T'Challa went on, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "And while I may not be able to make people give him thanks for being who he is, I will not have him be condemned for his origins." A beat passed before he added, "That is my final decision."

A heavy silence followed, one that was broken when the aide sighed. "As you wish, my lord."

Satisfied with this, T'Challa closed the cell phone and went about his business. _Now to alert the others to my progress,_ he thought, the tension increasing as drew forth his Avengers ID Card. Carefully fingering the card, he activated one of the functions that Iron Man had programmed into it while at the hospital. The instant he did, the card emitted a warbling tone, the 'A' on the card turning from red to blue, with a series of blue arrows lighting up along the card just before it returned to normal.

Satisfied that the broadband signal had been sent, and hoping that Iron Man had been correct that it was too broad a signal and had lasted too brief a time for SHIELD to detect it, let alone lock onto is source, T'Challa sighed. _That leaves just one more thing for me to wait for before I can proceed with the rest of the plan,_ he thought somberly, his inner demons attempting to return. To once again taunt him with memories of his own helplessness. _I only hope that we have enough time..._

* * *

><p>"So that's how it is, huh?" General Ross muttered, his mustache bristling with anticipation as he sat in his MCC. The current Director of SHIELD presently displayed on one of the internal monitors. "Then the Hulk and that blasted cousin of his are still in LA?"<p>

"We believe so," Director Hill replied in a terse manner. "There was no sign of either of them in the Quinjet we captured, and as near as we can tell, the rest of the Avengers have gone to ground. Furthermore, given Walters' physical condition, is extremely doubtful that they would be able to move her very far without worsening her condition." The SHIELD agent's eyes narrowed somewhat, reflecting her anger and frustration. "It's safe to assume that most, if not all of the Avengers have taken refuge somewhere within the Los Angeles limits."

"And if they've gone this far, then you can bet that blasted helicarrier of yours that they aren't going to hand them over without a fight," Ross informed her in a pointblank manner.

"That's fine by me, General," Maria declared in a voice dripping with venom. "The Avengers have had their chance to cooperate. I want them brought down, no matter what it takes."

"Then you should know that we won't be winning this battle without cost," Ross sternly declared. "I've been chasing the Hulk for years now. I've seen what he can do firsthand. You put him together with the rest of the Avengers, and -"

"That's precisely why I've given you access to every Hulkbuster unit for this mission, General," Maria reminded him sternly. "I don't intend to accept failure here. Not from you, or anyone else."

"And I have no intention of accepting failure, either. If it's a war the Avengers want, then this is one old soldier who isn't about to fade away." Rising to his feet, Ross studied Maria for a time, taking note of her comfy position in the big chair of the SHIELD helicarrier. Safe and secure with all the resources of SHIELD to keep her safe, well away from the frontlines of real battle. "But let me remind you, Director, that wars are ugly business. Especially with targets such as these. So don't expect a neat, clean little backyard brawl that you can sweep under the rug like it never happened."

"I don't care about any negative publicity, General. And I'm quite aware that there will be collateral damage. There always is." A beat passed, a moment in which Maria's expression hardened that much more. "But I refuse to ignore the activities of criminals, especially those passing themselves off as heroes. It's time to make an example of the Avengers, to show the world that SHIELD cannot, _will not _be ignored!"

"And let me be perfectly frank with you, _Director;_ I honestly couldn't care less about the Avengers, or what SHIELD wants." Pausing to enjoy the mild annoyance that sparked in Maria's eyes at this remark, Ross furrowed his brows menacingly. "But you better believe that I care about bringing down that miserable, lime-green wrecking ball they've taken in as their pet monster. And if the Avengers try to get in the way of my carving up the Hulk's ugly green hide, then they'll learn the hard way that I'm more than prepared to go the distance against them."

Silence fell in the wake of Ross's words, leaving the two figures of authority to glare at each other for a time. "Fair enough...General," Maria finally muttered, the scorn in her voice matched by the scowl she wore. "Just be sure that you bring me results, or trust me, I _will _make you care about what SHIELD wants." Letting out a slight snort, the General refrained from smirking as Maris assumed a more authoritative stance. "As soon as you reach the Los Angeles area, you have my authorization to use whatever means necessary to capture the Hulk and Jennifer Walters. If the Avengers resist...take them down."

"Understood, Director," General Ross acknowledged. Without another word, Maria broke the connection between them, leaving the old soldier to face a blank screen.

_Which suits me just fine,_ Ross thought as he turned away, more than happy to no longer have to deal with the so-called Director of SHIELD. _She's just a little girl playing soldier while sitting around in a blasted flying hotel. She wouldn't last five seconds in a _real _battlefield!_

Wondering what could have possessed Nick Fury to leave a mewling squim like her in charge of his precious network of superspies and overpriced equipment, Ross then tabled the question, deciding that it ultimately didn't matter to him. Not as long as he got what he wanted; free license to track down, attack, and hopefully exterminate the Hulk, without having to worry about the civilian casualties and property damage all those morons on Capitol Hill were forever moaning and complaining about, and were more than happy to use as excuses to take perfectly good money and resources away from the military and spend them on stupid pet projects of their own.

Now, after so many setbacks, so many times when he could have dealt with the Hulk conclusively, only to have his hands tied by civilian populations or lack of resources or some other form of interference, General Ross was finally in the clear. Director Hill had used the substantial influence of SHIELD to take the leash off of him and his forces, and given him the chance to finally end that monstrosity's miserable existence. To take the power that he carried within him, to tame it, and put it to work against America's enemies. And so much more...

_And there's no way I'm going to waste this chance. Not after what that beast's done,_ Ross thought as he took up station at the front of the MCC. His eyes taking in every detail of what was going on around him, the personnel he had hand-selected as members of this elite team, the finest the American military had to offer. Well-trained, determined, and each of them ready to carry out any order he would give him. Each and every one of them focused on carrying out his or her duties, on the various displays and monitors showing satellite imagery of Los Angeles, the position of the various units currently en route there, and more. All of it dedicated to one purpose, and purpose alone. _You've destroyed everything I ever gave a damn about, Hulk. My life, my career...my Betty..._

Wincing at the thought of this name, the hardened soldier's heart almost allowed a single tear to escape. But then Ross snorted loudly, and focused on the present. There was no changing the past. There was only judgment.

There was only _vengeance._

And Ross would have these things. No matter what it cost him...or anyone else.

* * *

><p>"Pardon me, Mr. Stark," JARVIS's electronic voice sounded, drawing the attention of the Avengers present. "But I would like to inform you that Captain America and Hawkeye have arrived."<p>

"Hmph," Hulk muttered sourly, the green goliath having been pacing about irritably in the central room of the building that was now their refuge. "It sure took 'em long enough."

Smiling despite Hulk's foul mood, Tony nodded. "Thanks for keeping me informed, JARVIS." Then he smiled in a devious fashion and asked, "Oh, and, uh...you _did_ give them the full treatment I asked you to give them, right?"

"Certainly, sir," JARVIS responded with his usual dry wit.

"Glad to hear it," Tony replied as he stood in the alcove, watching as a series of mechanical arms assembled the Iron Man armor about his frame. "Do me a favor, and show them the way here, okay?"

"They are already en route to your location, sir," JARVIS replied evenly.

"Great. Glad to see you're on the ball here," Tony replied even as the alcove finished its job, putting together his helmet. As metal slid in down before his face and his HUD came to life, the billionaire let out a low sigh of contentment. For despite Pepper's concerns about the amount of time he spent as Iron Man, doing the things he did, there were times when he honestly felt more comfortable within the armored shell he had created. Within the role he had created for the express of mending his ways, of becoming a different, better person.

_Besides, I'm probably going to need this armor,_ Iron Man thought, a smirk tugging at his lips as he anticipated his friends' arrival. _And not just because of the Hulkbusters..._

As if on cue, one of the doors slid open, and through it stomped Hawkeye, wearing an expression to that of the Hulk in a bad mood. "Alright, Stark!" the ex-SHIELD agent spat out as he approached, Captain America following a short distance behind. "You have some nerve pulling a trick like that! And I'm gonna -!"

"Cap! Hawkeye!" Wasp cried out in surprise even as Hulk started at their appearance. "Wh-what the heck happened to you?! You look like you just came out of a washing machine!"

Scowling at this comment, despite how accurate it was, the sopping-wet archer shot a look at Wasp and muttered, "Hmph! Good guess!" Then a low, rumbling sound was heard, one that drew Hawkeye's glare towards the Hulk. "This ain't funny, Jade Jaws!"

"Looks pretty funny from where I'm standing, Cupid," Hulk snickered, wearing a broad, nasty grin as Hawkeye and Captain America stood in the center of the room, drops of water steadily falling to form puddles on the floor, residual suds clinging to their bodies.

"What the heck...?" Ant-Man started, only to cut himself off as realization shown on his. "Say, Tony," he started, turning a suspicious look towards Iron Man. "You wouldn't, by any chance, happen to know what's going on here, now would you?"

"Hmm...yeah, I have a...pretty good idea," Iron Man admitted, wishing that his armor could hide the glee in his voice as easily as it could hide the impish grin he wore beneath his faceplates. "When I sent those drones to the point where Cap and Hawkeye were supposed to meet them, it occurred to me that, after wandering around in the sewer, they would probably need a bit of cleaning up. And since I really didn't want to invite that kind of aroma in here with them, I had JARVIS program the drones to give them a quick shower before they got here."

"A quick shower?! I feel like I just went through a car wash! _Without a car_, that is!" Hawkeye spat out, marching up to Iron Man with fire spitting from his eyes. "I'm soaking wet, I've got soap in my eyes and a whole lotta other places I'd rather not think about, and those buffer things that came out in the end? I feel like half my skin got rubbed off!"

Holding up his hands in placating manner, Iron Man replied, "Yeah, sorry about that. I forgot that I designed those things for shipping me around in them. With my armor still on, of course."

"Of course," Captain America echoed in a somewhat more dignified fashion. Or at least as dignified as one could be when he looked like he had just come out of a bubble bath while wearing his costume. "Well, as much as I appreciate being clean, I think I would appreciate a chance to dry off even more."

"Sure, not a problem," Iron Man quickly assured the living legend. "I've got a laundry room here you can use to get your outfits dried out. And I'm sure JARVIS knows where you can find some towels or something for the rest of it. Isn't that right, JARVIS?"

"Indeed, sir," JARVIS sounded, always ready to assist in getting his creator of jams such as this. Obediently, a series of lights started flashing along the walls, indicating a nearby door. "If you will just follow the lights, gentlemen, they will lead to the items you require."

Hawkeye's face soured that much more at this. "Wait a minute. You've got a functional laundry room here, right?" the archer inquired in a toxic voice. "And I'm guessing you've got working showers and all that as well?"

"That's right. And before you ask why I had you washed and waxed instead of giving you a chance to get all cleaned up on your own, let me remind you that we've got a clock ticking against us, Clint," Iron Man reminded him, fun and games forgotten for the moment. "And I should also mention that we have a woman in recovery in this building right now, and the last thing we need is to make her condition worse by letting you run around, wearing Eau de Sewer."

Hawkeye opened his mouth, presumably to shoot out some scathing remark regarding Stark's parentage, social habits, and other things, but any such derogatory remarks were prevented from escaping his lips when Captain America broke in, all business as he asked, "What's our situation soldier? Have the Hulkbusters reached Los Angles yet?"

"Not yet, but they're getting close. I'm betting we have ten minutes, probably less, before they've reached the city." Giving this a moment to sink in, Iron Man glanced at Hawkeye before adding, "So if you want to get dried off, I'd suggest you do it quickly. Before we're up to our ears in trouble."

Hawkeye stood there glowering at Iron Man for a time before groaning in defeat. "Fine. I'll let it pass for now, but don't think I'll forget this one," the archer muttered before stomping off. "And that stupid wash 'n' wax bit better not have fouled up my arrows, or I swear, I'll..."

With Hawkeye and his irritated diatribe fading away, Iron Man focused on the other newcomer. "You _do_ know that he's gonna find some way of getting back you for this," Captain America noted.

"Probably." Then Iron Man commanded his faceplates to slide away, revealing his face. "So, what? Are you gonna help him?"

Cocking his head to the side, Captain America smiled deviously. "I'd certainly consider it. After this is all over, of course," he admitted. "So what about Jennifer? How is she?"

"Better. I had her, the medical equipment, and Dr. Ridge all moved to one of the lower rooms. Those are about the most secure place in this entire complex. As safe as you can get here," Iron Man reported, glad to be focusing on other matters. "Unfortunately, Hill got wise to our decoy, so we have to assume that we're in for a rough day."

His features growing taut at this, Captain America asked, "Have you heard from Panther yet?"

"Yeah, but so far, he's only sent the one signal," Iron Man explained. "We're still waiting for the other one."

"Well, that's better than nothing," Captain America commented somberly. "And he'll send us the paperwork we need via...fix?"

"Fax," Iron Man corrected, pausing to wonder if this living legend would ever get the hang of even somewhat outdated things like a fax machine. "Yeah, but he can't send us the stuff we need without SHIELD potentially being able to detect the signal. So until he gets everything else tied up on his end, or unless we contact him directly..."

As this solemn sentiment hung in the air, Wasp piped up with, "Hey, c'mon, you guys! Look on the bright side! At least we're one step closer to getting what we need here! And once everything's in place, there'll be no way that either Ross or SHIELD will be able to so much as lay a finger on Hulk or Jennfier!"

"It's not gonna be that easy," Hulk rumbled sourly. "I know Ross. He won't back down just because of some paperwork and a few technicalities."

"Maybe not right away. But I'm sure Hill will be a lot more careful, once she finds out about it. And when she does, she'll put Ross in check for us," Iron Man explained, understanding full well the green goliath's doubts. "That being said, we're still waiting on the other signal. And until we get that..."

Letting the implications of this unfinished sentence hang in the air, Iron Man watched as Captain America nodded. "Let me know when we get the second signal, or when the Hulkbusters are in position," the living legend instructed him before moving off in the direction Hawkeye had gone. "Whatever happens first, we need to be ready."

"Hmph. Tell me about it," Iron Man agreed. Knowing that time was an enemy that waited for no one.

* * *

><p><em>Can't say I blame Cap or Hawkeye for taking some time to get dried off,<em> Wasp thought as she watched her fellow Avengers got about their business. _This whole mess is uncomfortable enough without feeling like a drowned rat!_ Then she smirked and added, _Not to mention looking like one._

Wincing at the thought of looking like such a thorough wreck while in action, Wasp glanced about at the four of them that remained. Already hating the silence that was creeping down upon them now that they'd done everything they were currently capable of doing. _Okay...Tony sent a drone out with Panther's costume so he can get suited up when he's done and take care of that other stuff, we've moved Jennifer and taken care of everything she and the doctor might need right now, we're monitoring Thor and the Hulkbusters..._ she thought, still glancing about at her surroundings. _I guess that leaves just one thing to do._

And so, intent on filling the silence so that didn't get too nerve-wracking, Wasp once again looked about her surroundings. "Say, Tony, there's something I've been wondering about," the lone female Avenger remarked, filling the silence with idle chatter. "This place...what's the deal with it?"

"What're you talking about, Jan?" Iron Man wondered.

"You said this place was an old factory of yours. One of the ones you shut down after getting out of the weapons business." Then Wasp glanced about at her surroundings once more. "But you've got running water, electricity, a laundry room..."

"Oh, that!" Chuckling in a knowing fashion, Iron Man shrugged and explained, "Well, yeah. I've been doing some remodeling around here, and at a couple of my other places."

"What for?" Wasp wondered. "What, is this some kind of backup mansion? Are you setting up another Avengers team or something?"

"Not really, though I will admit that I was toying with the idea for a while," Iron Man admitted.

"Then what do you have in mind?" Ant-Man wondered with a slight frown. "I mean, the room we came in through...it almost looked like a classroom of some kind."

"Well, that's...kind of because that's what it is. Or at least, what I _hope _it will be." Three sets of eyes looked at Iron Man with undisguised confusion, prompting to smirk in what Wasp tended to think of as his 'I know something you don't' manner. "Uh, let me ask you something; what is the best way of dealing with a supervillain?"

"Well, that's easy!" Ant-Man replied with a ready smile. "Rehabilitation, of course!"

"Hmph! Waste of time!" Hulk scowled bitterly. "You just smash 'em and be done with it!"

"No. That's a waste of energy and resources, Hulk," Ant-Man promptly countered. "Especially when there are better ways."

_Uh-oh...!_ Wasp groaned inwardly, knowing a debate when she saw one coming. _And here it comes...like I haven't heard this lecture before..._

"What better ways?" Hulk sneered. "Some guy like the Leader tries to take over the world, and you want to give him a nice, comfy apartment for his prison cell?!"

"The Leader is a brilliant scientist, Hulk, who potentially has a great deal to offer the world at large. All of the villains have great gifts, whether they be powers, technology, or enhanced intellect, that would of great benefit to everyone," Ant-Man responded, completely unruffled. "Think of the things they could contribute to society!"

"Like they care about contributing to anything other than themselves," Hulk muttered brusquely.

"That's my point, Hulk. All we have to do is help them understand, to get them to care about something other than themselves," Ant-Man declared. "Not only would we be able to use their incredible talents for the betterment of everyone, but all the time and energy we're wasting on fighting them could be put to far better use."

"You think fighting them is a waste of time?" Hulk snorted irritably as he turned to look off to the side. "Well, _I _think that _you're _wasting your time, thinking of ways of coddling a bunch of monsters like them! What, you think they're gonna be like those stupid ants of yours and do whatever you say just because you tell them to?!"

"What I think is that we shouldn't label these people as monsters, Hulk," Ant-Man countered, sounding a bit more annoyed now. "Think of all the people that have called you a monster, and -"

A loud, menacing growl echoed in Hulk's throat as he turned to glare at Ant-Man, bending down just enough to glare right into his eyes. His ham-sized hands balled up into fists, veins bulging from his emerald arms as he tensed up, all the frustration and rage that had been with him that way radiating him like a lethal cloud.

As Wasp wondered what she should do about this, or if she could even do anything, Iron Man cleared his throat. "Uh...as interesting as this...little debate you two have going is...you're both wrong." Starting at this declaration, both Ant-Man and Hulk swung their heads in the armored hero's direction, both visibly confused. "The best way of dealing with supervillains...is to help them _not_ _become_ villains in the first place."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hulk growled perplexedly.

"A while ago, I read about this so-called 'school for mutants' that some professor is running up in Westchester," Iron Man explained, once again smirking in that knowing manner of his. "Anyway, I did some poking around, just to find out what the deal was with that, and from what I could find out, they basically take in mutant children, particularly those at risk or who are being mistreated, that sort of thing, and they teach them how to live with other people, use their powers properly, that sort of thing."

"Really?" Ant-Man commented, his curiosity piqued. "That sounds interesting."

"Yeah, and it got me to thinking; there are probably hundreds of mutants in the world, maybe even more than that. Then there are other people who get special powers by accident, or were experimented on...that sort of thing. And, well...I'd say that that's a bit more than one school can handle." Then, with a broad, triumphant grin, Iron Man spread his arms out, gesturing at his surroundings. "And that's why I decided to remodel this place into what I hope will soon be the future home of...Avengers Academy!"

"An academy, huh?" Wasp mused, giving the matter some thought. "Sounds swanky."

"So what would you be teaching here?" Ant-Man wondered, his tone changing from interest to suspicion. "How to create a costume, or how to beat up supervillains just for the heck of it?"

"No, Hank," Iron Man answered, looking almost hurt at this remark. "The idea is to help at-risk children with special gifts become better people. To save them from going down the wrong path, to help encourage them to use their gifts the way they should be used. To help everyone." Letting this sink in for a moment, the armor wielder shrugged before continuing. "I admit that self-defense was one of the things I was considering having taught here, but only so that any students here could learn to protect themselves and others. I'd want them to stop fights, not start them."

"I like it!" Wasp declared with a broad smile. "Sounds like the best of both worlds to me!" When Ant-Man turned a querulous look towards her, she met it and explained, "Doesn't it make sense, Hank? Wouldn't it be easier to stop kids from going bad then to try and rehabilitate them after they've spent, what, years being bad guys or whatever?"

This caught Ant-Man's attention. "True," Hank mused in a thoughtful manner. "But where would you find people to run and teach a school like this?"

Another knowing smile appeared on Iron Man's face. "Actually, I was considering -"

"Pardon me, sir," JARVIS broke in, causing everyone present to look up in surprise. "But I'm picking up a signal being broadcast on the Avengers' frequency."

"Is it Panther?!" Hulk demanded.

"I'm afraid not. Avengers' ID code not found," JARVIS admitted. "It appears to be a wide-band broadcast, originating from just outside the city." A beat passed before the AI dropped a bombshell on them. "It also seems to be coming from the Hulkbusters' current position."

As this revelation came crashing down upon everyone's heads, Hulk snarled menacingly as Wasp gasped. Iron Man's expression turned grim as he said, "Whatever it is they're sending our way, we better have a look at it. Put it up on the screen, JARVIS."

"Indeed, sir." A moment later, a large screen on one of the walls burst in static before almost immediately resolving into the image of a man with a grey flat-top, a bristly mustache that looked like it wanted to attack someone, and a face that looked like it could give the Hulk a challenge in a scowling contest.

"Ross...!" Hulk growled, his eyes sparking with rage.

"-peat, attention, Avengers! This is General Ross speaking!" the irate military man announced. "By the authority of the United States Army and with the full support of SHIELD, I am here to take the Hulk and Jennifer Walters into custody!"

Frowning at the bristly image on the screen, Wasp looked over at Iron Man. "So, uh...any chance he knows where we are?"

"No way. This signal is set for wide-band broadcast," Iron Man immediately countered, his faceplates sliding back into position. "Ross is making sure that we -!"

"Tony, wait!" Ant-Man broke in, pointing up at the screen. The image before them had changed from Ross's face to what looked like an aerial map of Los Angeles, with several buildings highlighted in red. "What the -?!"

"Now, in case you're planning on staying hidden in whatever rat hole you've holed up in, then I should warn you that I have deployed Hulkbuster units to every Stark-owned facility within the Los Angeles area," Ross announced, a hint of gloating triumph to his words. "Unless you come out of hiding and surrender the Hulk and Walters to us within the next five minutes, I will have each and every one of those facilities wiped off the face of the planet!"

_"Wiped off the -?!"_ Wasp cried out in dismay. _"In five minutes?!"_

"JARVIS, talk to me!" Iron Man called out in a somewhat more level voice. "What are we dealing with here?! Can he actually _do_ that?!"

"I'm afraid so, sir. As General Ross said, the Hulkbusters are moving to surround every Stark-owned facility, active or otherwise. Also, I have detected aerial gunships and bombers approaching these same locations," JARVIS somberly admitted. "Even with their defense systems, they would not be able to hold for long against such forces. And not without significant losses."

"-tempt to resist us will be interpreted as an act of hostility, and will be treated that way," Ross went on, the image on the screen switching back to a shot of his face. "If you don't want to be totally destroyed, Avengers, you have five minutes to save yourselves, starting now. I suggest you choose wisely." With this declaration, the General's image disappeared, and was replaced with the image of a timer starting at five minutes, and rapidly ticking down.

"Is that jerko-General _completely out of his mind?!"_ Wasp shrilled disbelievingly. "He's seriously gonna blow up _hundreds_ of people, just to get at _us?!"_

"Janet, I'm sure that this - this has to be some kind of bluff!" Ant-Man sputtered out, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as much as the rest of them. "We already know that SHIELD is the one pulling the strings here. And there's absolutely no way that Hill could possibly -!"

"Yes, she would, Pym!" Hulk growled irately, his massive fists clenched as his entire body tensed with rage. "Don't you get it yet?! SHIELD, Ross, the Hulkbusters - they don't care! They aren't worried about people getting hurt or any of that!" His green irises flashing with greater rage, the green goliath glared hatefully at the time limit that had been placed upon them. "All they care about is getting whatever they want."

"Well, as inclined as I usually am to think the worst about SHIELD, I would hope that Hill would show at least a bit of restraint," Iron Man sourly commented. "But we can't take the chance that I'm wrong about that, either. JARVIS, how long until the Hulkbusters are in firing range of us?"

"Four minutes, thirteen seconds, and counting, sir," JARVIS immediately replied.

"Which is exactly how much time we have left," Wasp noted, her insides twisting about in knots. "So...any ideas?"

"Well, we can't attack the Hulkbusters. That's exactly what Hill wants; to make us the bad guys. We do that, and we might as well hand ourselves over to her on a silver platter," Iron Man tensely declared. "JARVIS, what about Thor? Any idea where he is?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," JARVIS ruefully admitted. "I cannot detect Thor's Avengers ID Card without breaking communications silence, and I cannot detect his bio-signature."

"He's avoiding satellite surveillance. Just like we told him to," Iron Man groaned heavily, bringing his hand to his forehead. "Great. That's just..." Shaking his head weakly, the leader of the Avengers sighed and looked at the others present. "Well, I'm out of ideas. How about you guys?"

"Uh...well, we have Hulk taken care of, right?" Wasp got out with some difficulty. "Can't we signal Panther to send us the stuff we need, and just...wing it from there?"

"That won't cut it, Jan. Not if Ross really is serious about this," Iron Man reluctantly declared. "Even with Hulk taken care of, he'll still want Jennifer."

"We figured _that_ one out, Stark!" Hulk rumbled angrily. "So you can stop telling us what we already know, and try coming up with something _useful!"_

Looking from one face to another, Wasp strained her mind to come up with some solution, some way out of this mess. Only to moan helplessly when she failed. "Guys...?" she got out, hoping for something. Some brilliant suggestion that would save them. "Um...maybe we should get Cap and Hawkeye down here...maybe they could...think of something...maybe...?"

Glancing up at the timer still counting down to destruction, Ant-Man frowned pensively. "Right now...I'm only seeing one way out of this." As the eyes of the others settled upon the soft-spoken hero, who sighed lowly before saying, "We'll have to surrender."

A loud gasp was heard beneath Iron Man's faceplate, followed by a disbelieving snarl from the Hulk. "Hank, you _can't _be serious!" Wasp cried out in disbelief. "You're actually gonna let Hill get away with this?! Force us all to work for SHIELD, cart off Hulk and -!"

"I never said that, Janet! But we have to face facts!" Ant-Man hurriedly protested. "We're talking about hundreds, possibly thousands of lives here! We can't endanger them like this!" Pausing to glance at the jade giant, the pacifistic scientist went on to say, "Now, I'm not saying we should join SHIELD, but we have to consider the situation. If we attack the Hulkbusters, we'll be giving Hill exactly what she needs. She'll be perfectly within her rights to arrest each and every one of us, and if that happens, she wins."

"So _that's _your big plan?!" Hulk demanded, glaring furiously at the scientist. "Let Ross take my cousin?!"

"Hulk, I'm sorry! I know this has to be hard for you, but you have to remember that it isn't Jennifer that Ross or Hill are interested in! It's us! Our powers and technology!" Ant-Man explained. "This whole thing is just a way for her to try and get control of us. But she can't come after you anymore, so even if we surrender Jennifer, it won't do them any good!"

"Oh, it'll do them good, alright!" Hulk sneered hatefully. "She's still got _my blood _in her, remember?! What's to stop them from taking that blood _out_ of her, _or worse?!"_

"I'm not saying that there isn't some element of risk, Hulk," Ant-Man replied in a placating manner. "But I'm sure that it wouldn't be as bad as all that. I - _ack!"_

"I can't _believe_ this, Hank!" Wasp shrilled, having rushed up to the scientist and grabbed him by the front of his costume, forcing him to look her in the face. _"That's _your big plan?! Let SHIELD walk all over us and take Jennifer?! Even after everything that happened with Graviton?!"

"But - this isn't the same, Jan!" Ant-Man protested, waving his hands helplessly in the air. "Jennifer doesn't have any special powers! Even if SHIELD were to take some of Hulk's blood from her, they'd have no reason to -!"

_"No!_ This is _wrong,_ Hank!" Wasp snarled, giving Ant-Man a quick shaking. "I know how much you hate fighting, but I never figured you as a being the kind of person who'd run out on somebody who needs you!"

His mouth opening and closing at random, Ant-Man finally managed to sputter out, "But - but, Jan, I -!"

"Pardon me, everyone," JARVIS suddenly broke in, freezing them all in place. "However, I just received the second signal from Black Panther."

Letting out a gasp of surprise, Wasp released her grip on Ant-Man's costume, allowing the self-proclaimed pacifist to fall to the floor. While he was letting out a groan of pain, the others were looking up at the timer that was still counting down to their doom. Upon seeing that there was a little less than two minutes left, Iron Man groaned, "Well, he could have cut that a bit closer...but I'm sure glad he didn't!"

"So am I..." Ant-Man muttered in a pained voice.

"JARVIS, signal Panther! Tell him to send us the documents, and that he's to move on to the next phase!" Iron Man hurriedly ordered. "And contact Thor! Tell him about Ross and his plans, and that we need him ready for trouble if things come to the worse! Tell Steve and Clint to get dressed and get down here right away!"

"Immediately, sir," JARVIS pleasantly responded.

Nodding to this, Iron Man then added, "And while you're doing that...I'm going to be telling Ross where he can find us...and the Hulk."

* * *

><p>Things were moving quickly, and with little to no warning. Something that Captain America had long since grown used to as a soldier during the second World War. The sharp blare of a warning alarm, signifying a Hydra attack, of being in the middle of one of his exercises, only to be brought up short by the sounds of bombs and gunfire. And more recently, having been in the midst of rinsing and squeezing his costume dry when an artificial voice had summoned him and Hawkeye, alerting them to the grave situation that they were now in.<p>

_To think that the US Army has come to this..._ Captain America scowled as he emerged from their sanctuary, the ground behind him quaking slightly as the Hulk followed a short distance behind. His thoughts on the blind hatred that drove General Ross, and the fact that any man of the army would sink to the level of common terrorists and other scum to achieve his goals. _I hate to feel this way, but...right, I'm almost glad that Bucky, Jack, and the others aren't here right now. I never would have wanted them to see our own people...become the enemy we once fought against._

Feeling the sun raining down on his still-damp costume, Captain America sighed inwardly before returning his focus to the present. He would more than likely have a chance to show General Ross exactly what he thought of his model of the military before the day was out. For now, he had to stay focused on the task at hand. "Let's move, Hulk," the Super Soldier intoned, the feel of his shield and everything in represented never so welcome as started forward. "And be ready for anything."

Hulk issued a loud snort to this, something that the living legend had come to accept as being typical for the jade giant. "Where's Ross?" he muttered, scowling as only the Hulk could as he looked about their surroundings...and seeing nothing. "I thought Stark said the Hulkbusters had us surrounded."

"He did...and he was right," Captain America noted, studied the streets ringing the Stark complex. Streets that were completely empty of civilian traffic, were devoid of the sounds and sensations that accompanied an inhabited city. It was a dead area, the kind of silence the Super Soldier had encountered during the war when entering an occupied section of a city. "The Hulkbusters must have stopped after we contacted them, probably just within firing range of us. They're probably watching us, just to make sure they're not walking into a trap."

"Hmph. More like Ross doesn't want anybody else to have the pleasure of putting me in a cage," Hulk growled with deep bitterness.

"In which case, he'll have them wait for his arrival before trying anything. Which can only work in our advantage," Captain America reminded his fellow warrior. "Once we reach the perimeter, I'll go ahead, try and get them to show themselves. Just remember, the more time we give the others, the better."

"I know, I know," Hulk muttered, his gaze lowering somewhat. "But I still don't like it."

Deep down, Captain America understood the Hulk's misgivings. The Super Soldier had never been one to hide behind others, and from his experience, he knew the green goliath was even more loathe to shirk from a fight. But he knew that this was a battle that couldn't be won with physical strength alone, a battle his cousin was counting on them to win. And so he took his rage and internalized it as best as he could.

_Which can't be easy,_ Captain America thought, recalling his own experience with gamma mutation. Of the overwhelming rage and savagery he had felt while under the thrall of the Leader and his gamma dome. _He's had to learn to live with all that power and anger, to control it..._

As this thought rattled about in Captain America's mind, he frowned in consideration. Dr. Ridge had mentioned being among those mutated by the Leader, and from his reactions, it had clearly been as horrific an experience for him as it had been for those Avengers that had suffered the same fate. So much so that he considered letting Jennifer die a lesser evil then risking her being similarly mutated. _Still...I wonder...could we somehow use what happened with the Leader to our advantage?_ Captain America mused thoughtfully. _Like us, a lot of people were forced to walk in the Hulk's proverbial shoes. Could we somehow use what they experienced to help him? To get people to understand that he isn't a monster?_

It was an interesting notion, the living legend eventually decided. And one to be shelved for future consideration, for they had reached the fence marking the outer perimeter of the Stark complex. _And still, no sign of the Hulkbusters,_ Captain America noticed, becoming increasingly unsettled by this situation. Obviously, despite whatever shortcomings these soldiers might have, a lack of skill was not among them. _All the more reason to take this slowly._

Pausing once again to study their surroundings, sensing nothing but the unnatural stillness that surrounded them, Captain America held up his free hand to Hulk, signaling for him to wait. The jade giant growled lowly, but offered no other protest as the Super Soldier made his way up to the gates. Responding to his presence, machines and electronics he could not see nor fathom went to work, causing the gates to slide apart for him, allowing Captain America to move onto the open streets.

Carefully swinging his gaze this way and that, the veteran soldier didn't bother trying to skulk about, showed no fear as he made his way further and further away from the relative safety of the Stark complex. But he never stopped scanning his surroundings, his senses keened for anything that would indicate that something was amiss. A sniper taking aim from the top of the building, muted footsteps of soldiers advancing...

_No. Don't forget, you're not the primary target here, soldier,_ Captain America reminded himself. _Ross is focused on the Hulk first and foremost, so he would have to know that going after you first would only serve to warn him, provoke. Make him madder and therefore stronger even before a battle has a chance to start. If he's going to make a move, he'll be doing so with..._

Before he could complete this thought, the Super Soldier's ears pricked at a sound, a mechanical one. One that was strange and familiar at the same time. The sound of heavy machinery moving, of wheels and tank treads grinding against concrete. "Stand ready, Hulk," Captain America announced in a firm, commanding voice. "Here they come." If the Hulk had anything to say to this, he kept it to himself. Which was just as well, for the sound that Captain America knew to be approaching vehicles grew even louder, just before the Hulkbusters filled the streets.

Still standing tall, Captain America studied the war machines that were surrounding him. He had seen Hulkbuster gear and vehicles in the past, having familiarized himself with them on the off-chance that he and the rest of the Avengers would have to deal with them. And while not as impressive as the equipment used by SHIELD, Hydra, or AIM, it was still formidable in its own right. Bizarre, two-legged tanks rolled into view, much larger than traditional tanks of his day, each and every one of them taking aim at the Hulk as soon as they were able. These were followed by the sound of rotors, prompting Captain America to look up and see heavily armed attack helicopters fly into view. And like the tanks, they positioned themselves to open fire upon the Hulk.

_They are efficient, I'll give them that much,_ Captain America mused, watching as ground forces appeared. Garbed in green armor and carrying heavy, advanced rifles, they moved in on them, with several taking up positions around the Super Soldier, taking direct aim at him.

"Hulk!" came a loud, officious voice, prompting Captain America to look up and see someone rising up from the hatch of one of the standing tanks. And although the living legend was at a wrong angle to make out any details, he could still see the blue uniform the man wore, totally at odds with the green marking the Hulkbuster soldiers and vehicles. "By the authority of the US Army, with the full support of SHIELD, you are hereby ordered to surrender!" the man declared. "Remain where you are, or you and Captain America will be fired upon!"

Scowling heavily at this declaration, at the clear threat that was being used to keep the Hulk in line, Captain America took note of another voice. "Please, don't move, Captain," one of the Hulkbusters spoke, the distortion caused by his helmet unable to hide his uncertainty. "This doesn't concern you."

"You're wrong, soldier," Captain America returned without hesitation. "This concerns a member of my team. And that means that it _does _concern me."

"Change back to Bruce Banner now," the man in blue continued, oblivious to the conversation going on below. "Surrender Jennifer Walters, or face the consequences."

Snarls of rage escaping the Hulk's lips, Captain America turned just enough to look at his fellow Avenger and gesture for him to settle down. "Relax, big guy." Waiting just long enough for the green goliath to stop growling, the Super Soldier turned to look up at the man in blue. "What's your name and rank, soldier?"

A beat passed as the blue-uniformed officer looked down at the veteran hero. "Major Glenn Talbot of the United States Armed Forces." Raising an eyebrow, he smirked victoriously before going on to say, "Of course, we all know who you are, Captain. So I hope you'll listen when a superior officer tells you to do something." Talbot's smile disappeared as he folded his arms behind his back. "Order the Hulk to change back into Banner. And have your friends surrender Jennifer Walters into our custody, or you will be fired upon."

Studying the man that stood high up on one of the standing tanks, Captain America scowled his disgust. "You may hold a higher rank than me, Major. But that doesn't make you someone I would listen to." Taking note of the way Talbot's eyebrows went up at this, the Super Soldier asked, "Where's General Ross?"

Taken aback by the abruptness of this question, Talbot hesitated before responding, "General Ross is presently en route here. But he ordered me to -!"

"Then we'll wait for General Ross to get here," Captain America retorted, not at all perturbed.

"No, you won't!" Talbot immediately shot back. "You are dealing with me, _Captain!_ And I order you to -!"

"I'm no longer a member of the United States Army, Major. As you may recall, I haven't been for quite some time now," Captain America reminded him. "So I have no reason to take orders from you."

The corner of his lip curling up smugly, Talbot retorted, "The Hulkbusters are prepared to wipe out every Stark-owned facility in the city of Los Angeles unless you comply with our orders. I'd call _that _a reason to take orders."

"Your so-called 'orders' are the same kind of demands that terrorists have pushed on me in the past, Major. I didn't deal with terrorists then, and I'm not dealing with them now," Captain America shot back, taking some satisfaction in the stunned expression this caused to spread on Talbot's face. "And we _will _wait for General Ross to arrive. I intend to deal with him personally, not his mouthpiece."

His mouth and eyes popping open in astonishment, Talbot then flushed with rage. "You - you _dare _to address me that way?! One order from me, and you, your Avengers, and every Stark complex in this city will be _wiped out!"_

"Along with all the people in them?" Captain America shot back, keeping his voice straight and level. Free of the bile and anger that was corrupting Talbot's own words. "In my day, the Army was supposed to protect the people of this country. Not use them as hostages."

Again, Talbot froze, but this time, the living legend's words had a deeper impact than simply knocking the Major back on his heels. In the wake of his challenge, shuffling feet were heard, along with some muted voices. Mutterings that were too soft for Captain America to make out the words, but were just loud enough for him to detect the hints of concern that they were spoken with. Something that gave him hope that the modern military had not fallen as low as he had feared when he stated. "We will wait for General Ross. Then...we'll talk."

Quaking with rage, it seemed certain that Talbot was on the verge of doing something drastic. And for a time, Captain America was concerned that he would act on his easily wounded ego. But finally, after a seeming eternity, the Major closed his eyes, and after several seconds had passed, forced his body to stop trembling with anger. After a deep breath, he opened his eyes, and they no longer blazed with wounded pride. "Fine, then. I guess a couple minutes won't make any difference," he muttered in a sour-grapes fashion. Then he glared at the Hulk and added, "Not when we've got you right where we want you."

_You've got it wrong, mister. _We've_ got _you_ right where we want you,_ Captain America thought, still standing tall despite being surrounded. _Now...it's all up to Panther to finish setting everything up...to put you out of business..._

* * *

><p>"So the Hulkbusters are here?" Sally Floyd demanded, her heart pumping a bit faster as she spoke into her cell phone. "As in right now?"<p>

"That's what I'm telling you, babe!" Gary returned in a tense voice. "I just heard it over the police scanner! The local boys in blue have been told that the Hulkbusters are in town now, ready to do some Hulkbust_ing!"_

"And what about Ned?!" Sally demanded, referring to the executive producer who was in charge of her news show. "What's he have to say about this?!"

"You mean, aside from thanking you for making us the Number One in our time slot today?" Gary asked playfully. "Only that he wants you back here at the station as fast as possible! We're looking at things getting ugly in a big hurry here! He's already got our helicopter crews on the move to cover the action, and he wants you back here to report all the gory details!"

Despite the potential danger that having the Hulkbusters in Los Angeles represented, Sally pumped her fist in triumph. So far, everything seemed to be going her way that day. She had scored a major scoop before any of the other networks, and was being brought in to give proper coverage of what would, in all likelihood, be an extraordinarily destructive battle between the Hulkbusters and the Avengers. And no matter which side won or lost, this in turn would be followed by all kinds of controversy, debate, people arguing about what could and should be done to prevent such things from happening in the future.

And Sally would be on top of it all. Her name would be attached to this story and everything that resulted from it. Just the jumpstart her career and reputation were in such desperate need of.

_Which means I better hurry and get back to the studio!_ Sally thought with unrestrained eagerness. _The last thing I need is for someone like Irene to try and mooch off of all my hard work!_ Shuddering at the thought of something like this, the reporter nodded. "I'm heading back right now! Thanks for the head's-up!"

"No problem! Just don't forget that you owe me for this!" Gary pointed out.

"As if you'd let me! Out!" Sally retorted, closing her cell phone the instant she was done speaking. Then she looked at her crew and called out, "Alright, people! You've got five minutes to get packed up! Ned wants us back at the studio! As in right _now!"_

Watching with a distinct sense of satisfaction as her people went to work, packing up all the camera equipment and getting everything safely stowed away, Sally's enjoyment of her moment was interrupted by a voice saying, "I take it that you must be Sally Floyd."

Very nearly jumping out of her shoes, Sally whirled about to look for the source of the enigmatic voice. At first, all she could see was the open back of her own news van. But as she stood there, wondering what was happening, the sounds of blatant shock were heard echoing around her. Pausing just long enough to glance about at her surroundings, at her own crew and others gaping upwards in confusion, she then followed their gazes, and felt her widen in shock at the sight of the figure presently crouched on her van. A figure dressed in a cat suit colored with black and purple, the yellow lenses obscuring his eyes narrowed dangerously.

After a few seconds of staring at this unexpected figure, Sally regained her composure, and folded her arms across her chest. "Well. The Black Panther," she declared, the corner of her lip curling up. "I have to admit, if any of you Avengers were gonna show up, I would have expected the Hulk, or maybe Iron Man."

"At this moment, both of them are otherwise engaged." Black Panther's eyes narrowed, and Sally could practically smell the distaste radiating from him. "I suspect you are aware of the reason why. And the role you played in caused our current predicament."

"And I suppose this is where you give me some lecture on how thoughtless I was to tell the world about the Hulk giving Walters a transfusion, that none of this would be happening if I had just kept my nose out of your business and all that. Is that about right?" Giving a harsh snort of disdain, Sally cocked her head to the side and countered, "Well, let me tell you something, Mr. Fancy-Pants Avenger; as far as I'm concerned, if it's news, then it's _my business!_ And that business just happens to be sharing news with the rest of the world."

"All for personal profit," Black Panther pointed out. "And without regard of the potential consequences of your actions."

Getting more than a little annoyed now, Sally looked about the area. Her conversation with the Black Panther was attracting attention from her competition, with teams from other news shows pausing in their own labors to stare and wonder what the heck was going on. And while she didn't overly mind them not doing their jobs, she had to get back to the studio immediately. The last thing she wanted was to lose momentum after grabbing a firm hold of the story of a lifetime. "Look, I don't have time right for any morality lectures, and even if I did, I -!"

"You misunderstand. I have no intention of lecturing you on morality or responsibility. Like yourself, I do not have much time, and in any case, I can already tell that such a lecture would be wasted on deaf ears." Snorting unpleasantly at this non-too-subtle jab, Sally was about to go about her business when Black Panther continued. "But whether you admit it or not, you have set in motion a potentially catastrophic situation. And now, I intend to see that you help make it right."

"Hmph. In your dreams, Avenger," Sally sneered disdainfully before returning her focus to her crew. To her annoyance, she found that they had ceased working, and were now too busy staring at the costumed vigilante to be doing their jobs. "Hey! Back to work, people!" she snapped, smacking the side of the van in order to get their attention. "We're on a deadline here, remember?!"

"So, you would refuse?" Blank Panther mused in a thoughtful manner. "Even at the chance of acquiring exclusive footage of what is happening between the Hulkbusters and the Avengers? As well as the possibility of exclusive interviews with members of my team?"

Sally had paused at the words 'exclusive footage', and 'exclusive interviews' prompted her to return her attention to the black-garbed Avenger. "Exclusive...wait a minute," she frowned suspiciously. "I thought you said you wanted me to make things right?"

"I did." Seeming to smile beneath his mask, Black Panther went on to explain, "But that does not preclude the possibility of you profiting as well."

Realizing that the Avenger had a point there, Sally narrowed her eyes. Pausing to quickly look about, taking note of the intrigued looks they were now getting from her fellow reporters, she asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"My Avengers ID Card is keyed to monitor security feeds from various Stark complexes, as well as the Iron Man armor and other Avengers' ID Cards, whether they be audio, visual, or both," Black Panther explained, holding up the card for emphasis. "By interfacing it with your equipment, you will be able to receive life feeds from all of the Avengers. And given the situation that is now unfolding...I suspect that having direct access to these things would be most...beneficial to you."

Sally suspected that the Wakandan Avenger was correct in this. "And what do you want in return?"

"For you to do your job; to report news and broadcast it. Accurately and without distortion or manipulation," Black Panther explained. "Do this, and then after the current situation is resolved, you will have your exclusive interviews."

Sally hesitated, uncertain what to make of this. On the one hand, what she was being offered could very well transform her already-extraordinary story into a guaranteed ticket to bigger and better things. It could completely reinvent and revitalize her stagnated career. And indeed, just hearing about what was being offered was making some of the competition that was in earshot cry for Black Panther's attention, to be given access to what he was offering Sally. But at the same time, she was somewhat concerned. This whole thing seemed too good to be true. And then there was the bit about the need for accurate redistribution of what she was being given access to. Not only was the Wakandan being vague in regards to that condition, something that set off alarm bells in her mind, but a little distortion and manipulation of the facts went a long way to making a big story that much bigger.

"Well, Ms. Floyd, do we have a deal?" Black Panther asked, seemingly unconcerned by everything. "Or should I ask one of your fellow reporters if they would be interested?"

The sound of her competition crying out in agreement was all it took to get Sally to make her decision. "Alright, fine!" she declared before they could get going and attract Black Panther's attention. "Just be sure you live up to your end of the bargain, mister!"

"You need not worry about the validity of my word, Ms. Floyd," Black Panther retorted, effortlessly bounding down from the top of the news van and leaping inside. "I suggest we hurry. As you have mentioned, we do not have much time."

"I heard _that!"_ Sally grated out, pausing to look at the agitated reporters that were now closing in on them. Each of them determined not to be shut out of the possibility of an exclusive with the Avengers. "Hurry up, people! Let's get moving!" Without another word, she threw herself into the news van as well, closing the door behind her and locking, just before a horde of her fellow reporters could crawl inside as well.

Not bothering to check and see how her crew was coping with the interfering flock of vultures that were trying to steal her exclusive, Sally focused on Black Panther, who was already hard at word. The ebon Avenger had his Avengers ID Card in hand, and as she watched, he pulled it apart, revealing a complex network of wires and circuitry. As he took one of the wires and plugged it into the van's computer, she frowned and wondered, "Are you sure know what you're doing?"

"The ID Card is designed to be universally compatible with all forms of technology. And I have worked with computers much more advanced than what you have here." Deciding that Black Panther had a point, Sally opted to sit back and watch as he fiddled with his card. To her surprise, the van's computer screen lit up, revealing the armored visage of Iron Man. "Iron Man. Phase 2 is now in progress. What is your situation?"

"Well, let's see now; the Hulkbusters have surrounded every building that has my name attached to it, Cap and Hulk have a whole bunch of tanks and helicopters aimed right at them, and General Ross is on his way to make our lives even more difficult," Iron Man reported with more than a bit of sarcasm. "How about you, Panther? You good to go?"

"Almost," Black Panther reported. "Has Captain America told the Hulkbusters about our efforts?"

"Not yet, nope," Iron Man assured him. "He's saving that little bit of information for when Ross gets here."

Nodding to this, Black Panther replied, "In which case, my timing would appear to be perfect. Connect me to a security camera that has a view of what's happening, and patch me into Captain America's ID Card. But make certain to disguise the frequency so that the Hulkbusters don't realize what we are doing."

"Right," Iron Man nodded. "JARVIS? What he said."

"So...what exactly are you doing?" Sally wondered with a distrustful frown.

"Giving you a story, Ms. Floyd," Black Panther replied in an enigmatic fashion. "One larger than you might have expected."

* * *

><p>Hulk felt like has about to explode.<p>

A couple minutes had passed since the Hulkbusters had arrived and taken up station around the Stark facility, leaving both him and Captain America surrounded by enough firepower to level half of Los Angles. The much weaker Super Soldier stood surrounding by Hulkbuster troops, their rifles aimed right at his head, and the threat of potential annihilation for many people, including Jennifer, still loomed overhead.

And the Hulk could do nothing. Nothing save for stand there and wait for the man he possibly hated above all others to arrive.

"How much longer is this gonna take...?" Hulk growled dangerously, his arms folded across his massive chest as he scanned his surroundings. Seeing no sign of the last piece of the puzzle they were supposed to be putting together.

"Don't be impatient. Ross will be here, sooner or later," came the familiar voice of Bruce Banner. Once again giving the green goliath the benefit of his insight. His ability to think rationally, anticipate and analyze various situations despite the intense rage that drove the Hulk once more making him an invaluable asset. "You know as well as I do that he would _have_ to be here. That he couldn't possibly stand back and watch someone else succeed in defeating you."

His frown deepening, Hulk was forced to admit that his other self had a valid point. In their every clash, Ross had made it clear through his actions that he would do anything, anything at all in order to be the one to crush the jade giant. With their most recent clash in the desert, in which Ross had willfully fired upon the Hulk when a SHIELD team was in close proximity, driving home the lengths to which the General would go to in order to claim victory over his nemesis for himself.

"I know..." Hulk growled lowly, surveying the numerous engines of destruction that surrounded him, piloted by idiots who had no problem letting Ross lead them around by the nose. People and machines that he dearly wanted to smash.

Intuiting what his other self was thinking, Bruce smiled knowingly. "I wouldn't worry. I'm sure you'll get your fun soon enough," the scrawny scientist assured the Hulk. "In fact...I'd say that the time for waiting is almost over."

As Banner once again fell silent, Hulk took notice of what his other self had so easily noticed; the sound of an engine, of wheels rolling. Signifying that another vehicle was approaching, and by the sound of it, it was a large one. But not like the sound of the standing tanks that the Hulkbusters typically deployed against him.

_Hmph. Looks like you called it, Banner,_ Hulk thought with grim amusement, focusing on the source of the sound. The corner of his lip curling when he saw a Hulkbusters Mobile Commander Center roll into view, carefully navigating around the numerous standing tanks to get as close as possible to the center of the action. _It won't be long before it's time to smash..._

The Hulk then forced his muted smile away. Not a very difficult task, especially when the door of the MCC opened up, the bottom half of the door forming a staircase, allowing a stern figure of an older man to exit. A man that the Hulk had fought indirectly more times than he could remember, a man that glared hatefully at the Hulk, a gloating smile of pure triumph appearing on his lips as he made his way over to Captain America, who responded to his presence by saying, "General Ross, I presume?"

"Greetings, Captain Rogers," Ross returned, not even a hint of pleasantness in his voice as he came to stand face to face with the living legend. "So, Major Talbot tells me that you...refuse to surrender the Hulk to him. That you wouldn't deal with anybody but me. Is that correct?"

"It is, sir," Captain America nodded in a brisk, military-like fashion. Ross seemed to consider this for a time, raising his eyebrow as he considered the Super Soldier. All the while the Hulk looked on, anticipating what was about to happen.

"This...is going to be fun," Bruce commented with a knowing smirk.

_Yup,_ Hulk agreed, wondering how Ross would react to the Avengers' little surprise.

* * *

><p>"Ah, there we are," Black Panther mused, his voice filled with satisfaction.<p>

Taking note of this, Sally narrowed her eyes at the sight of the screen before them, only for her eyes to subsequently widen when she realized what she was looking at. As promised, Black Panther had somehow managed to connect them to a camera that was basically giving them front row to a major story. And while she couldn't tell exactly where the camera was, she could more than easily see the Hulkbusters forces that filled the streets, she could see the Hulk standing within the perimeter of a barbed wire fence, and most importantly, she could see Captain America surrounded and with several guns pointed at his head.

"Whew...you weren't kidding!" Sally got out, practically drooling over what she was seeing. Visions of Pulitzer Prizes dancing in her mind as she demanded, "But...wh-where is this happening?!"

"I'll display the location," Black Panther responded, already puttering away at his ID Card. "In the meantime, Ms. Floyd, I would strongly suggest that you contact your network so that you can 'go live'. I believe that this situation will soon be...escalating."

Not doubting this for a moment, Sally hurriedly pulled out her cell phone, and with fumbling fingers, pressed the speed dial that would connect her to the studio. "Gary! It's me, Sally!"

"Sally!? What the - what're you doing?!" Gary wondered, clearly surprised. "Are you on your way back yet, or -?!"

"Forget that! I'll be back soon enough! But right now, I need you to put me through live!" Sally instructed him.

_"Live?!_ Babe, are you kidding me?!" Gary protested in a voice rife with astonishment. "Ned's getting feeds from helicopter crews right now! The Hulkbusters are moving in on every Stark-owned building in LA, and -!"

"Listen to me, Gary, and listen good!" Quickly fiddling with her cell phone, she activated its camera function, and aimed at the Avenger that was right next to her. "I've got the _Black Panther _of the _Avengers _inside the news van with me right now! He's giving us exclusive news footage from where the other Avengers are, _including the Hulk and the Hulkbusters!"_ Waiting just long enough to make certain that there was ample footage of the Wakandan Avenger doing his thing to satisfy Gary, she put the phone back to her head and continued, "Meaning that we have full sound and video coverage of what's happening out there! Closer than any helicopter can get! Not to mention that the Panther has offered me _exclusive interviews _on the whole thing! But if you don't put me through live in the next _ten seconds,_ that's all out the window! _Do you hear me?!"_

"Black Pan- exclusive - holy...!" Gary sputtered out. Three or four of the promised ten seconds passed before he recovered and gasped, "I-I-I gotcha, babe! I'll get Ned to put you through right away!"

"Good!" Sally got out, watching intently as another large vehicle appeared on the monitor. "I'm sending you a live feed right now! Get going and make this happen, Gary!" Setting her phone aside, she focused on the Black Panther. "Here, let me through! I need to start piping this stuff into the studio! _That'll_ get Ned's attention!"

"I have no doubt that it will," Black Panther agreed, allowing Sally access to the controls.

* * *

><p>As Captain America stood face-to-face with General Ross studying the hatred that seemed and lines his features, the General's mustache bristled angrily. "Very well, Captain. I'm here now," Ross intoned, not bothering to disguise his annoyance. "And I am telling you to have the Hulk change back to Banner immediately, and to have all your little Avenger buddies surrender Jennifer Walters into our custody."<p>

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no, General," Captain America retorted, standing straight and tall despite everything. "Both the Hulk and Jennifer Walters are staying with us."

His scowl intensifying, Ross leaned in a bit closer to the Avenger. "You act like you're being given a choice here, Captain," the General growled disdainfully. "Let me remind you that I have full authorization from SHIELD to take whatever steps are necessary to capture the Hulk and that blasted cousin of. Even if I have to blast my way through every building with Stark's name on it in order to do it!"

"You might have SHIELD's authority to do that, General. And I will admit that there's not a lot I personally could do to stop you from doing so," Captain America conceded in a stern voice. "But I warn you, sir; if you go ahead with what you're planning, then you will be engaging in an act of war against the sovereign nation of Wakanda."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Well, we're almost to the point where everything hits the fan. And when that happens, as the Hulk would say, it will be time to smash! So until then, please read and review! And possibly check out my other stories?<p>

InsertBoringNameHere, yeah, I know have some problems with my writing at times. Any chance anybody knows of a good Beta Reader I can use?

acosta perez jose ramiro, thank you, and I do agree that being a jerk is just makes things worse for authority figures. I'm rather proud of how I handled Black Panther in this chapter. And yeah, that would make for a fun scene with Hill. I think I'll do it in the next chapter.

DJ Rodriguez, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. As for Maria...well, let's just say that she'll be in for some seriously rough times before everything is said and done...

Rose Jennison, Phase 2 is well under way. Get ready to watch Ross explode.

Rassilon001, thanks. I was trying to come up with something inventive for the Avengers strategy, and it would appear to have paid off. And things are going to be getting very messy, indeed. In regards to Dr. Ridge, I'll be doing something to get his POV later. Hopefully, that explains his attitude a bit better.

Linzerj, I'm glad you like how I'm handing everything. As for Jennifer Walters, she's one of my favorite Marvel characters. I do wish she got the treatment she deserves, however. And you're going to see how the Avengers are going to be dealing with Hill and Ross in the near future...

Captain Ash, don't worry, Jennifer will be going green and getting some serious limelight before everything's said and done. As for Hill and SHIELD, considering some of the shenanigans they're party to, they are in no position to criticize the Avengers.

GreenScar1990, thank you. I really did my best to depict Thor and Hulk's interactions as I thought they should be. And I have read some of the comics, though not nearly as many I would like. I'm glad that the plan the Avengers cooked up meets with your approval, and I actually did read that issue with Hulk shrunk down while trying to deal with the Abomination. In fact, that's part of what inspired my plan with the Avengers.

general zargon, you can safely expect more Spidey in this story later on.

eastWOLF, I am painfully aware of Avengers: EMH being cancelled. Along with a lot of other great shows, while the crap keeps getting pushed out. Honestly, what is it with executives, anyway?

dude45, risking a war between the Avengers and the Hulkbusters in front of a hospital did not strike me as a smart thing to do. That's why avoided it.

Gundam Kaiser, Hill's going to have a _lot _of egg on her face before everything's said and done.


	7. Outbreak of Destruction

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 7: Outbreak of Destruction

"What is going on here?! What are you still doing in the middle of New York?!" Maria Hill demanded, feeling as she was down to her last nerve as she glared intently at the Mandroid that had contacted her. "I told you that I wanted that Quinjet brought to SHIELD Central and impounded immediately!"

"Yes, sir. You did, sir," reported the agent beneath the Mandroid armor. An agent that Hill had every intention of having sent to the SHIELD outpost in the Savage Land as soon as her current situation was resolved. "But, sir...we have a problem here."

_You think _you've_ got a problem?!_ Hill thought incredulously. _I've got the Avengers playing some kind of game at SHIELD's expense, a trigger-happy General I have to keep on a tight leash, and an opportunity of a lifetime that I can't afford to lose!_ Struggling to rein in her anger and frustration, the current Director of SHIELD leaned in closer towards the Mandroid. "A 'problem'?!" she repeated, just barely keeping her voice under control. "What kind of 'problem' could prevent you from carrying out a simple order?!"

The Mandroid took a nervous gulp. "Uh..." he began, the view before Hill suddenly shifting. Now not only was she looking at the face of the agent beneath the armor, but she was also being given a perfect view of what his armor's optical scanners were seeing. "_That _kind of problem."

Immediately, Hill was presented with a view of the present scene. The Quinjet the SHIELD team had shot down was still hanging from a series of weblines, and she could tell that her people had already begun the process of attaching magnetic grapples to the sides of the craft. But even as they were preparing to hook it up to each of the six SHIELD fighter jets hovering in the air, waiting to lift their prize away, several Mandroids were issuing sounds of protest. "Outta the way, you armored runts," came a deep, gravelly voice from somewhere behind a group of the armored SHIELD agents. "Idol 'o millions, coming through."

Her brows furrowed in confusion, Maria was about to ask who was interfering with SHIELD business when the figure shouldered his way past a trio of protesting Mandroids, giving her a perfect view of the interloper and sending her mouth and eyes flying wide open. "Benjamin Grimm?!" she spat out in disbelief, only to growl lowly in her throat, not wanting for anyone else that could hear her voice to know just how thoroughly infuriated she was becoming. "Why are you letting him get in the way of doing your job?! Arrest him _immediately!_ And if he resists -!"

"Sir, it's not just him! Look!" the Mandroid broke in. Even as Hill was about to make it clear what she thought of being interrupted, the armored agent looked up...and the current Director of SHIELD hissed with even greater aggravation.

Several feet above the downed Quinjet, a safe distance away from the SHIELD jets, hovered a sleek craft colored in white with blue trim, and had four separate cockpits, three of which were occupied. One of them contained a figure in a red and blue tights, with web patterns marking the red portions of his costume, as well as large white eyepieces rimmed with black. And while Hill didn't recognize him, with the spider marking his chest, it wasn't difficult to guess who he was.

_That interloper Spider-Man!_ Hill thought, recalling the earlier report she had gotten regarding his involvement. Then she looked at the blonde hair marking the other two occupants. _And Jonathan and Susan Storm..._

Even as she realized what this meant, the Mandroid confirmed her suspicions. "The Invisible Woman is using her force fields to shield herself and the others! We can't even touch them!" he explained in a helpless voice. "If we try and arrest them, this whole thing could go completely out of control!"

As much as she resented the utter ineptitude being demonstrated by the people that were supposed to carrying out their duties as SHIELD agents, Hill couldn't help but admit that the lead agent there had a valid point. The level of firepower needed to overwhelm the Invisible Woman's force fields would be considerable, possibly even exceeding the capabilities of the SHIELD team there. And even attempting to do so would cause a great deal of collateral damage, probably endangering civilian lives. And while she didn't object to that overmuch, not in the face of getting what SHIELD needed and establishing SHIELD's authority over these superpowered rogues, she didn't want to do so at the risk of making SHIELD look even worse in the public eye. And causing public sympathy to fall upon the so-called heroes.

Wishing not for the first time that she could simply throw each and every one of those vigilantes into jail and be done with it, Hill took a deep breath. Unforeseen events were a part of being an agent of SHIELD. You didn't question them. You dealt with them. And as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"Put me through to your armor's display screen. I want to talk to them, starting with Mr. Grimm," Hill ordered in a brisk manner, placing her hands to her hips. Preparing herself to deal with this latest superpowered annoyance.

"Yes, sir," the Mandroid replied, already moving towards the walking rockpile.

"Yeesh, what's with you vultures?" Grimm muttered irritably as he made his way up to one of the magnetic grapples. Wrapping one of his huge, four-fingered hands about the grapple, he issued a mild grunt of effort before yanking it off the side of the Quinjet. "You can't just go around, shooting fancy airplanes out of the sky so you can drag 'em back home to play with!" The rock-like Thing than proceeded to the next magnetic grapple and yanked it off. "Didn't your mommas ever teach you not to steal the other kids' toys?!"

Bristling at the fact that her people were being lectured by a super-powered vigilante, Hill forced herself to remain silent as the Mandroid approached. "Benjamin J. Grimm!" he announced, causing the stone man to pause even as he advanced upon the next grapple. "Hold it right there! The Director of SHIELD wishes to speak with you!"

Raising a stony brow at this, Grimm paused even as he was about to take hold of the grapple. "Okay, look," he intoned as the Mandroid came to stand before him, "first of all, my friends call me Ben or Mr. Grimm or whatever. To everybody else - and just so you know, that includes you - I'm the Thing. With me so far?"

Hill frowned at the nervous sound she heard issuing from the Mandroid's throat. Nor did she like it when he replied with, "Okay...Thing."

"That's better," Grimm returned with a measure of satisfaction over having cowed the Mandroid. "Now secondly, I think it's just great that Lil' Nicky wants to talk to me. Because I definitely want to have a word or three with him." Then the man of orange rock looked about and asked, "So, eh...where is the man with the patch, anyway? Haven't seen him around the Baxter in a little while."

Her scowl deepening at the flippant way the hideous vigilante was referring to the proper head of SHIELD, Hill demanded, "Put me on. Right now." The Mandroid didn't bother responding, which was fine by Maria. Instead, he flipped open the display screen on his gauntlet. When the readout on her screen revealed that she had been put through, she took a deep breath and began. "Mr. Grimm, I -"

"Hey, this ain't Nick!" Grimm immediately protested, scowling in annoyance as he looked from Hill to the Mandroid. "I thought you said Fury wanted to talk to me!"

"He said that the Director of SHIELD wished to speak with you, Benjamin Grimm," Hill told him with an edge of impatience. "And that's me. Director Maria Hill."

"Huh - hey, wait a minute!" Grimm blurted out, surprise warring with annoyance. "You?! Taking Lil' Nicky's place?! When did _that _happen?!"

"That is not important. What _is _important is that you and the rest of the Fantastic Four are interfering with a SHIELD operation!" Hill decreed, wanting to make it perfectly clear that she wouldn't tolerate any flippancy or disrespect. Wondering once again how Nick Fury could allow vigilantes such as this to thumb their noses at SHIELD, let alone operate the way they had, she then focused on the matter at hand. "The Avengers are facing criminal charges by SHIELD, and unless you want the same to happen to you and the rest of the Fantastic Four, you will let the Mandroids do their job!"

"Hey, wait a second!" came an impertinent voice. When the Mandroid looked up, Hill saw Johnny Storm looking down in clear annoyance. "The _Fantastic Four _will be facing criminal charges?!" Then the flame wielder looked over at Spider-Man and demanded, "What about Web-Breath over here?! Won't he be in trouble, too?!"

"No, I won't," Spider-Man returned nonchalantly. "And do you want to know why?" Johnny opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the web-slinger continued with, "First, because I'm just so cuddly."

His face wrinkling up like it had been bathed in overripe lemons, Johnny shot back, "Hey, you're not even close to being on the right side of cuddly, Bug Brains!"

"I'll spare you the lecture on the fact that spiders are arachnids, not bugs, and move on to Reason Number 2; namely, SHIELD doesn't know where I live," Spider-Man smugly pointed out. "That's one of the benefits of having a _secret identity_, Torchy. You don't have to worry about the bad guys showing up to go after friends and family, or have some nutball from Latveria launch your home into outer space for the, uh...how many times has it been already?"

"Five, actually," Susan remarked with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, whatever," Johnny remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You're just jealous that the Fantastic Four has all the great toys...and I get all the girls! And all you have is a jerk with a bad haircut spending all his time on a JumboTron telling the world what a creep you are!"

Even as Spider-Man shot back with scathing remark regarding the quality of the girls that were attracted to Johnny, Grimm grumbled beneath his breath before returning his focus to Hill. "Ignoring those two...you were saying that you're after the Avengers for something, right?"

"That is correct," Hill confirmed.

"And, uh...I'm guessing this has to do what's goin' down in Los Angeles, right?" When Hill narrowed her eyes in a mix of surprise and confusion, Grimm smirked and explained, "Don't look so surprised, lady. HERBIE gave us all the gory details."

Hill's first impulse was to tell the orange golem that the circumstances behind the situation were unimportant and that he was to cease his interference. But then she frowned, and decided that it probably wouldn't hurt to be cordial to a degree, especially if it helped expedite things. "If you know about that, then you are also aware that the Avengers have infected a woman with dangerous mutagenics and are now -!"

"Hey, I know all about that, lady. But I also know the Avengers. And I know that they wouldn't be doing what they're doing without some really good reasons." Then Grimm considered Hill for a moment, then smirked, "But, uh...if nabbing the Avengers is so important, then why do you have your Tin Woodsmen out here, playing around with an empty Quinjet?"

Not liking the attitude she was getting, Hill countered with, "It is being confiscated under SHIELD authority! Now stop interfering and -!"

"Oh, yeah? Do you have a warrant for that?" Grimm demanded.

Taken aback at once again being interrupted, Hill needed a moment to recover before repeating, "A warrant?!"

"Yeah, don'tcha need a warrant for searches and seizures and stuff like that?" Then Grimm looked up and asked, "Ain't that right, Suzie Q?"

"You got me, Ben," Susan admitted even as Johnny and Spider-Man continued to bicker. "I'm pretty sure you do, though."

"That's good enough for me," Grimm smiled before returning his attention to Hill. "So, uh...tell you what, Agent or Director or whatever-your-title-is; we'll take care of this here Quinjet, and when you get back to us with a warrant, you can look over this bird all you want."

Her eyes popping open with further ire, Hill simply stood speechless for a moment. A moment that Grimm was quick to take advantage of by grabbing the nearby grapple and yanking it off the Quinjet. "Now, wait just a minute! This isn't up for debate! SHIELD has no need for warrants, and we _are_ seizing that Quinjet! And if you do not cease and desist interfering in our affairs, then I will have you all arrested and -!"

"Director Hill! Sir!" came a voice from behind. "You better come see this!"

A low growl of frustration sounding in her throat, Hill whipped about to see a Quartermain standing behind her. "Not now, Quartermain! I'm busy, and -!"

"Director, please!" Quartermain broke in, his expression marking his concern and urgency. "There's been a development in the situation in LA! General Ross has located the Avengers!"

With this statement, Quartermain succeeded in riveting the Director's attention. "What's the situation? Has he engaged them?"

"No, not yet," Quartermain informed her. "But something else is going on, sir! You _really_ need to see this!"

"Heh. Sounds like you've got your hands full there, Ms. Director," came Grimm's voice. Her eyes popping wide open, Hill looked about to see a broad grin creasing orange rock. "In which case, the FF will be more than happy to take care of this Quinjet for you." Looking up at the Fantasticar, the stone man cupped his hand to his mouth and called out, "It's all yours, Suze! Take 'er away!"

"Right. Engaging tractor beam," Susan replied. Before Hill could say much as a word of protest, a shaft of light blue energy shot down from the Fantasticar, spilling over the Quinjet and encapsulating it. "The Quinjet is secured, Ben! Now to secure you!"

"Okay! But - hey!" Grimm cut himself off as he was suddenly lifted into the air. Waving his arms about to stabilize himself, he cried out in protest. "Easy, Susie! I just had lunch, remember!"

"Yeah, and it was a _big _lunch, sis!" Johnny chimed in with a voice of pure mischief. "So be sure he doesn't lose it! Even _I _wouldn't wish something like that on those SHIELD idiots!"

"Oh, you're asking for it, Matchstick...!" Grimm growled irritably.

While Grimm was vowing that if he was sick, that Johnny would be the one he was sick on, Hill was staring in disbelief at the screen. Not only would have confiscating that Quinjet have gone a long way in demonstrating that the days of SHIELD tolerating vigilantism were a thing of the past, but it would also have given them an excellent opportunity to study and quite likely reverse-engineer some of Stark's latest technology without him being able to interfere. And now, just like that, it had slipped through her fingers.

With that realization, disbelief immediately shifted to anger. And that anger sought out the most convenient target as Hill fixed her formidable glare at the person responsible for distracting her. "Quartermain, whatever this is had better be important..."

"It is, sir," Quartermain assured her even as he moved away. A scowl furrowing her features, Hill moved to follow the agent back to his station. "We've been monitoring everything coming out of Los Angeles since the Avengers disappeared, trying to find a lead on them and they've got planned." When they arrived at his station, the field agent gave her a grim look. "Some time ago, the Avengers contacted General Ross, giving him their position. But that's not the only the only problem." Quartermain paused in his narrative to give the Director a look, a look Hill knew meant trouble. "The Black Panther made contact with the reporter who reported them using the Hulk's blood on Walters, and from what we've been able to tell, he's given her access to the security cameras at the factory the Avengers are holed up in. If General Ross makes a mess of things out there, the entire world is gonna see it."

Hill was sorely tempted to tell her subordinate that she honestly could not have cared less if Ross went berserk and the world saw it. It would be his reputation and that of the US Army that would take the hit, not SHIELD. The only thing she cared about was getting the Avengers and putting them in their place. And she was hardpressed not to let Quartermain have it for pulling her away from dealing with the Fantastic Four. But even as she was fighting these urges, she glanced over at the screens before her, and focused on the situation at hand.

"So what you're saying is that the Avengers are inside that factory? With Walters?" Hill asked, some of her anger fading as she studied the situation. The first thing she noticed was Captain America standing outside the fence marking the factory perimeter, surrounded by Hulkbuster units. A short distance away, just inside the fence, the Hulk himself stood, glowering angrily at the opposition, but making no threatening moves.

"Apparently so," Quartermain confirmed. "But, sir, I -"

"Then it looks like they've run out of places to run," Hill decided, feeling a sense of relief and triumph as General Ross stood face-to-face with Captain America. "Turn the sound on! I want to hear what they're saying!"

Quartermain looked as if he was going to say something in way of a protest, but a moment later he thought better of it, and did what a good SHIELD agent should. He followed orders.

With a flick of a switch, he adjusted the sound so that Hill could hear what was being said. "- telling you to have the Hulk change back to Banner immediately," General Ross was heard saying, glaring dangerously at the Super Soldier, "and to have all your little Avenger buddies surrender Jennifer Walters into our custody."

Even as a smile of triumph creased Hill's lips, Captain America spoiled the moment. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no, General," he intoned, not backing down in the slightest. "Both the Hulk and Jennifer Walters are staying with us."

_Hmph,_ Hill thought as she continued to size up the situation. _You make it sound like you have a choice, Captain..._

"You act like you're being given a choice here, Captain," Ross growled, the way his words mirrored Hill's thoughts throwing her off somewhat. "Let me remind you that I have full authorization from SHIELD to take whatever steps are necessary to capture the Hulk and that blasted cousin of his. Even if I have to blast my way through every building with Stark's name on it in order to do it!"

"You might have SHIELD's authority to do that, General. And I will admit that there's not a lot I personally could do to stop you from doing so," Captain America admitted. "But I warn you, sir; if you go ahead with what you're planning, then you will be engaging in an act of war against the sovereign nation of Wakanda."

Now Hill was doubly thrown. "An act of war?!" she demanded, not liking the airs Captain America wore. He wasn't acting at all like a rat trapped in a corner with no way out. He looked more like a poker player armed with a Royal Flush. "What's he -?!"

"What's that supposed to mean, Captain?!" Ross snorted irritably.

"It'd be simpler if I just showed you, General," Captain America intoned. Reaching into his utility belt, he then fished out a small bundle of papers. Pausing to unfold them, he then handed one of them to Ross. "I strongly suggest you read this, Ross. Before you make a costly mistake."

Not even moving to reach for the proffered paper, Ross scowled at it like his glare alone would cause it to spontaneously combust. "And what is this supposed to be?!"

"A legal document, courtesy of King T'Challa, naming Dr. Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, the official diplomatic ambassador of Wakanda," Captain America announced, the corner of his lips curling up ever so slightly. "This has been notarized by the High Council of Wakanda, signed by the Hulk, and given full approval by King T'Challa. As such, the Hulk is now afforded all the rights and responsibilities that come with the title of Ambassador of Wakanda." A more definite smile appearing on his lips, the star-spangled soldier added, "Including, of course, diplomatic immunity."

As these last two words rang in Hill's mind, her eyes ballooned from her sockets and her jaw plummeted to the floor. Her brain struggled to process the full meaning of what she had just heard, feeling as if it were on the verge of suffering a complete breakdown at the prospect of being forced to accept something so utterly impossible as reality. Leaving her able to do little except stand there, bungled utterances of incredulity tumbling free of her lips. Even as Ross stood there, his own expression mirroring what Hill felt.

Finally, after a seeming eternity of stupefied silence, both Director of SHIELD and General of the US Army somehow managed to recover enough to cry out as one, _"Diplomatic immunity?!"_

* * *

><p>"Diplomatic immunity?!" Sally got out, feeling as surprised as General Ross looked. Then she looked over at the Black Panther, and with a voice hushed with amazement, asked, "Wha- when did <em>this<em> happen?!"

"Earlier this afternoon," the Black Panther remarked in his usual polite, even manner. "When I contacted the Wakandan Embassy and made all the necessary arrangements."

Her mouth popping open at this, Sally stared at the ebon Avenger for a brief moment before asking, "So - wait! Then your king is in on this whole thing to protect the Avengers?! How did you manage that?!"

"Wakanda owes a great debt to the Avengers, and it's king is not one to forget such things." Then a faint smile seemed to appeared on the Black Panther's cat-like mask. "Also, the Black Panther has always had the ears of the kings of Wakanda." As Sally furrowed her brows, feeling as if there was deeper meaning to this statement, the cat-like Avenger added, "I suggest you pay attention to what's happening on the screen, Ms. Floyd. For I -"

_"You mean to tell me that you actually gave the Hulk diplomatic immunity?!"_ General Ross roared, his voice sounding in the crowded news van with such force that Sally could almost feel it rattling as a result.

"- believe the situation will soon escalate," the Black Panther concluded, completely unruffled by Ross's fury.

_You really are a master of understatement, aren't you?_ Sally thought, her focus once again the confrontation before her.

* * *

><p>"Are you completely out of your mind, Rogers?!" General Ross thundered, his features creasing with pure outrage as he jabbed his finger towards the Hulk. "That - that green beast has rampaged his way across half the globe! He's caused destruction and chaos beyond anything you can imagine! He's a <em>monster!"<em>

"No, General. The Hulk is not a monster," Captain America returned, completely unperturbed by Ross's wrathful voice. "He's simply different from you or I. And because he is different, he has been persecuted as a result, the same way so many other people have persecuted throughout history."

"This isn't a matter of race or gender or any of that garbage!" Ross declared with hateful disbelief. "That monster is a menace to the entire world! He's destroyed countless lives, he's a threat to this nation and every person in it! He has to be caged for the safety of the entire world!"

His eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Captain America retorted, "Despite the fact that he has helped save the world on more than one occasion? No, General. You can call the Hulk a monster all you want. You can come up with any number of labels you'd like to slap on him to justify what you're doing. But none of that changes the truth of what he is." There was a pause before the living legend concluded his statement. "A hero."

As Ross countered this with even more furious howls of outrage, Hill continued to look on from the safety of the helicarrier, feeling as if her head was about to explode. "Diplomatic immunity..." she murmured in a voice of muted horror. "They actually gave the _Hulk _diplomatic..." Before she could finish this incredulous question, the sound of her own voice registered with the Director of SHIELD, and caused her to scowl in disgust at the weakness and vulnerability that dripped from it.

Hill couldn't afford weakness or vulnerability. She was an agent of SHIELD. More to the point, she was in command of it now. And she had to be strong, had to be in control. And she had to get in control of this situation.

"Quartermain!" Hill started, focusing on the nearby agent. "Check the UN database! See if there's anything to what Captain Rogers is saying!"

"Yes, sir!" Quartermain immediately replied before getting down to the task at hand.

Satisfied that Quartermain was doing his job, Hill returned her focus to the situation on the screen. Trying not to think about the kind of mess she would be dealing with if Captain America was telling the truth, leaving such thoughts for until after his words were either confirmed or denied, and instead continued to watch as Ross continued to thunder and rant. "- blasted traitor!" the veteran General snarled furiously. "If you were still part of the army, I'd have you court martialed! I'd have you facing a firing squad! Selling out your country all to protect that miserable green beast!"

"You can call the Hulk and myself whatever you want, General. You can threaten me in any way you wish," Captain America returned, his calm and dignified voice a sharp contrast to Ross's tirade. "But nothing changes the fact that the Hulk is now under the protection of international law, as is recognized by the United States of America. And as such, he cannot be arrested under any circumstances. The worst you can do now would be to deport him to Wakanda...and we both know that's not the kind of victory you're after."

As metaphoric flames leapt from Ross's eyes, Hill was forced to concede that Rogers had a valid point. It was well known that the bombastic General had a very personal vendetta against the Hulk, one that would not be satisfied by sending the Hulk to an obscure nation in Africa. But even as she silently admitted this, her ire increased, for it was just the kind of situation that she loathed above all; criminals manipulating the laws in order to safeguard their own agendas. Hiding behind the letter of the law to escape justice.

_Which just proves you Avengers are no better than Hydra, AIM, or any other criminal!_ Hill sneered disdainfully. _So this is how you were planning on keeping the Hulk out of Ross's hands...but what about Walters? Have you got something up your sleeve for her as well?_

Even as Hill wondered this, Ross glared dangerously at Rogers, as if sizing the Super Soldier up for another attack. "Even if I did believe this load of bull, _Captain,"_ the General growled, making the rank sound like something that had spilled out of a sewer, "I haven't heard you say anything about Walters. So unless you've conveniently whistled up another diplomatic immunity for her, then you better tell me where she is, or I'll have the Hulkbusters track her down! Even if I have to have them level half of LA to do it!"

"There's no need for hostile action, General Ross. Ms. Walters is right over there, in the same building we came out of," Rogers informed the irate military man, indicating the Stark factory behind him. "However, I wouldn't recommend you go in after her."

"Hmph. Why not, Rogers? Because the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers are there, waiting to attack the instant we set foot on Stark's property?!" Ross demanded in a condescending manner. "I've been chasing the Hulk for years now! Do you honestly expect me to back down now?!"

_No, they don't. If they have any brains in their heads, they'd know better,_ Hill thought, recalling the fiasco that was the battle between the Hulk and former SHIELD agents Hawkeye and Black Widow. _And they know that if they try and intervene, I can have them arrested. So...do you have anything planned that can stop us from taking Walters as well?_

"No, General. But again, I would recommend against going in there," Rogers informed Ross, still maintaining that same dignified manner. "Wakanda has very strict laws against trespassing."

Even as Hill furrowed her brows in confusion, Ross snarled, "Wakanda is in another continent, Captain! How in thunder could we possibly be trespassing there?!"

"You wouldn't, not in Wakanda itself." Then Rogers allowed himself a cunning smile, one that gave Hill a very bad feeling as he went on to say, "But as you know, the embassy of any given nation is also governed under the same laws as the nation it represents. And the Wakandan Embassy is no different."

_"What_ Wakandan Embassy?!" Ross demanded.

"That one," Rogers informed the General, again gesturing at the Stark complex behind him. Even as Hill felt her features crease with confusion, the living legend once again retrieved a cluster of paper from his utility belt. "As part of a joint venture between Stark Industries and King T'Challa, this facility has been officially retasked as a resident mission of the sovereign nation of Wakanda. And as such, this entire complex is officially Wakandan territory, and subject to Wakandan law."

As Hill's eyes bulged at this declaration, Ross stared disbelievingly at Rogers for a time before shouting, _"What?!"_

"That's right, General. So if the Hulkbusters so much as set foot inside this perimeter," Rogers explained, gesturing at the fence that surrounded the Stark complex, "they will be trespassing on Wakandan ground."

His hair and mustache bristling with unbridled fury, the Hulkbusters shifting about uncertainly, Ross glowered for a time before growling, "And what about Walters?"

"Ms. Jennifer Walters is a welcome guest here, by the invitation of King T'Challa himself," Rogers informed Ross, a trace of smugness to his words. "In fact, he has seen fit to grant her...political asylum."

As this latest bombshell hit home, Hill stared in horror at the screen before her, her overwhelmed mind unable and unwilling to accept this madness. Leaving her to swing her gaze towards her nearby underling, gritting out his name. _"Quartermain...!"_

* * *

><p>"Unbelievable..." Sally breathed, images of Pulitzers and more dancing in her mind as she contemplated the story that was growing without limit before her. Looking over at the Black Panther, she asked, "You actually made that old factory...an <em>embassy?!<em> Just like that?!"

"Technically, it is a resident mission, one that will be tasked with carrying out purposes aside from political ones," Black Panther corrected in his usual polite manner. "But you are essentially correct."

Staggered by the audacity of what was being told her, Sally slowly shook her head in disbelief, her mouth hanging slightly open until she managed to recover. "I...I don't...how did you even manage that?!"

"Through the help of good friends, as well as excellent connections," Black Panther replied, seeming to smile at this vague non-answer.

Even as Sally was about to express her annoyance over the Avenger's elusiveness, another voice sounded in the news van. "Sally!" came Gary's voice. "Babe, are you there?!"

Almost jumping out of her skin at the sound of the almost forgotten cell phone, Sally fumbled it about in her hands before recovering. "Gary!" she cried out as she put the phone to her head. _"Please _tell me you got Ned to -!"

"You're all clear, babe! We've pulled up a photo of you, and Ned's piping the footage through for broadcast now!" Gary announced. "Get ready, because we're goin' live in ten seconds! Ten, nine, eight...!" Silently thanking any of Thor's kin that might have been responsible for this miracle being deposited into her lap, Sally grinned like an idiot as Gary counted down the seconds remaining before her career got the jumpstart it was in such dire need of. Her heart pounding furiously until at last he said, "You're on!"

Pausing just long enough to take a deep breath, Sally began speaking, "This is This is Sally Floyd of WKNN Action News, coming to you live from the streets of Los Angeles, where a tense confrontation between the Avengers and the Hulkbusters is brewing!"

* * *

><p><em>Diplomatic immunity...an embassy...all just like that?!<em> Hill shrilled inwardly, caught between horrified disbelief and consummate outrage as she stared at the ongoing confrontation between Captain America and General Ross. With the Captain looking as if he held all the cards, and the General looking ready to chew through adamantium. _How - it can't - is this for real?!_

The logical part of Hill's mind said that it wasn't. That there simply was no way the Avengers could have possibly bent so many laws to such a degree that they could twist the situation to such an advantage. But even so, she continued to look into the confident expression worn by Captain America, she found niggling worms of uncertainty gnawing at the pit of her stomach. He was just too certain, too utterly convinced that he was in the right here.

_And I know this whole thing with the Quinjet was a distraction. Just something to buy the Avengers time,_ Hill thought warily, her mind feverish with thought. _So is this really possible?! Could they actually have -?!_

"Director Hill, sir!" came another voice, one that Maria quickly recognized.

Turned towards the speaker, Hill scowled and asked, "What is it, Woo?"

"The news station we were monitoring! They just went live with footage from Stark's factory!" Woo tersely reported with all the enthusiasm of bearding a lioness in her den. Wincing at this, Hill looked back to the screen before her. Up until now, they had been monitoring the transmitted footage being received by the news van Black Panther had effectively commandeered, but if this was now being broadcast publicly...

"Put it up on the main screen!" Hill demanded, fighting down the sick sensation she felt at the steady loss of control she was experiencing. Looking up at the screen, she watched as the image changed from the open skies ahead to a scene very similar to the one she had just been watching. But this time, there was a picture of a woman in the corner of the video.

"This is This is Sally Floyd of WKNN Action News, coming to you live from the streets of Los Angeles, where a tense confrontation between the Avengers and the Hulkbusters is brewing!" Came a female voice, one that was rife with barely controlled excitement. "Minutes earlier, the Hulkbusters arrived in Los Angeles to deliver an ultimatum to the Avengers; that they surrender the Hulk, as well as his cousin, Jennifer Walters, into their custody. With the promise that, if they should fail to cooperate with these demands, that they would attack every Stark-owned business within the boundaries of Los Angeles, and if need be, destroy each and every one of them in search of their quarry."

As the reporter went on, slathering her words with dramatic tension, Hill felt her eyes widen with horrified realization, the Avengers' plan becoming crystal clear. It wasn't just about using the media to try and damage SHIELD's reputation. She had been prepared for that, and SHIELD's PR people were used to spin-doctoring bad situations into something less damaging to SHIELD's reputation, or at least diverting the blame elsewhere. And they already had a convenient scapegoat in the form of the Hulkbusters and Ross.

But this...this was far worse than anything Hill could have imagined. The Avengers had somehow managed to turn a relatively minor domestic incident to a potential international debacle that couldn't possibly be kept from the ears of the World Security Council. They had put her in the position that SHIELD would be the one in violation of the law if they pushed forward, and with no way of covering it up or denying it. And when the council, the only real authority SHIELD answered to, got wind of the fact that the Director of SHIELD had set this all in motion, pushed the Avengers so far into a corner that they had done everything they could to make the cost of victory utterly ruinous for her...

"As we've just heard, General Ross claims that he has been authorized by SHIELD to do whatever is necessary to take both the Hulk and Walters into custody," the newswoman continued, heedless of Hill's inner musings. "However, as impossible as it may seem, the Avengers..."

Whipping away from the newsfeed, Hill heaved a deep breath, trying and failing to clear her mind. "Talk to me, Quartermain!" Hill she soon got out, glaring daggers at her subordinate. "Have you got anything yet?!"

"Working on it!" Quartermain hurriedly reported, his fingers a blur as they danced madly upon his keyboard. "I'm looking through the UN database right now!"

Hill wanted to tell him to work faster, but she stifled that urge. Not only would it not have done anything to accelerate his progress, but it could only serve to distract from his duty. She also wanted to take the frustration she felt and physically unleash it upon something, but she forced herself to stifle that impulse as well. Not only was there anything inexpensive enough for her to justify destroying, but she absolutely refused to put such behavior on public display. To allow herself to show any signs of weakness to those under her command. That wasn't how Nick Fury had done things, and it certainly wouldn't be how she did, either.

Even as she thought these things, General Ross seemed to going through a similar thought process. As Hill looked on helplessly, the volatile General ceased ranting, and after several seconds of silently glowering at Captain America, gruffly demanded, "I assume you have proof of this, Rogers? Other than a bunch of papers than anybody could have Photoshopped?"

There was a moment of confusion on Rogers face, another reminder of his status as a man out of time, but he recovered quickly. "If it's proof you want, General, then feel free to contact the United Nations. Or you can have SHIELD do it for you," Captain America informed him. "I'm sure they can confirm our story easily enough."

As Ross continued to glare, Hill found herself glancing over at the frantic agent once again. Waiting and wondering when he would be able to do as Captain America said he could. "Quartermain..."

"Almost there...just need a few more seconds, sir...!" Quartermain replied, a bead of sweat appearing on his brow. Several more buttons were pressed, several screens scrolled by, until at last the blonde agent froze in place. His expression became one of utter and complete shock, his body rigid with astonished horror as he looked at the screen. A beat passed as he gulped, slowly shifting his eyes towards Hill. "Uh...Director...?"

He didn't have to say anything else. Quartermain's reaction was all the answer Hill needed, sending her heart plummeting in shock. Leaving her able to do nothing but move to stand next to him and look at the screen herself. Confirming her worst fears with her own eyes. "How...?" the Director breathed, all but speechless. "How...how could they have done...all this?!"

"I'm not sure. Black Panther somehow managed to rush through having Hulk appointed as the Wakandan ambassador, but as for the rest of it..." Shaking his head in slow confusion, Quartermain frowned before explaining, "It looks like Stark and Panther have been setting up for something like this for a while now. But..."

_In other words, they had a lot of everything they needed in place to pull this off. I just gave them some additional motivation to finish it up,_ Hill thought, glowering at the screen before her. _But why?! What could they be up to?! Why would they...how could...?!_

Her myriad thoughts trailing off, becoming disjointed and confused by the migraine headache she was no experiencing, Hill continued to stare at the screen, the information on it telling her beyond any shadow of a doubt what she had been afraid of had come to pass. That it didn't matter how or why the Avengers had been setting up this particular sanctuary. All that really mattered was that it was over.

The Avengers had thoroughly outmaneuvered Hill and successfully defied SHIELD. They had made it impossible for her to act without turning the situation into a complete disaster.

The Avengers...had won.

'

With that realization, Hill felt a harsh, burning rage flood her being, a rage so intense that, if she were afflicted with a gamma mutation, she would already be ripping the helicarrier to pieces with her bare hands. As it was, she felt like she was inches away from doing, anyway. Because even that would have been better than facing the reality that she had been defeated.

But she didn't. She didn't waste her time. All she did, all she could really do, was clench her fists, heave a deep breath, and look up at the screen before her. Watching as General Ross led Captain America into the Hulkbusters Mobile Command Center, presumably to confirm or deny the Avengers' story.

_Might as well as spare him the trouble,_ Hill thought bitterly, adding this debacle to the list of the many, _many _reasons why the Avengers needed to be regulated or put in a cage. "Agent Woo..." she began the words coming only with great difficulty and leaving her throat sore and abraded in their passage, "contact General Ross. Tell him that...that the Avengers have won." Then she narrowed her eyes at the screen before her, watching as Captain America disappeared into the MCC, adding, "_This _time..."

* * *

><p>As Captain America stepped into the Hulkbuster's MCC, he didn't let himself relax, even for a second.<p>

Things were looking good thus far. The Avengers had gotten everything in place so that they could legally shelter both the Hulk and Jennifer. Neither the military nor SHIELD could make a move on them, not without suffering severe legal repercussions. They had the legal documentation to back up their claims, and all it would take was a few calls to the proper people to confirm that documentation to be genuine. All of which would be sufficient to convince any rational person to concede defeat in this instance.

_Unfortunately, most of the people we deal with in these situations are far from rational,_ Captain America grimly mused as he stood just inside the door to the MCC's interior, carefully scanning what he knew to be enemy territory. While the personnel inside continued to carry out their duties, more than a few glances were directed at the living legend, and he was painfully aware of the armored soldiers stationed just outside the MCC. Trained and ready to act on a single order, with Ross continuing to glare at Captain America, watching his every move. _And it's safe to say that Ross is no exception..._

Frowning as he thought of the things he had learned about Ross, about the blind hatred and contempt the General had spewed in his face, Captain America watched as the military man opened his mouth, already tensing himself for whatever was about to happen. But before any words could escape Ross's mouth, one of the technicians aboard the MCC frowned and looked up from his station. "General Ross, sir!"

"What is it, soldier?" Ross asked, not looking away from Captain America for even an instant.

"We've got an incoming transmission from SHIELD, sir!" the technician reported. "It's Director Hill for you, sir!"

Intently studying Ross, Captain America could very easily see the way his brow furrowed at the mention of Hill's name. The way his nose wrinkled with disgust, a hateful sneer twisted his mouth, and his eyes sparked with annoyance.

But he didn't say anything. Nor did he make a move to respond.

"Aren't you going to answer it, General?" Captain America asked in a deceptively mild fashion. "It could be important."

The marks of anger on Ross's face became ten times more pronounced at the Captain's words. "I don't have time to deal with that little girl!" the General declared, his attitude a clear sign of what he was about to do. "Men! Secure Captain America immediately! Then seal the doors!"

Less than a moment passed before two of the Hulkbusters standing just outside the MCC came in behind Captain America, their weapons ready and aimed squarely at him. Disappointed but unsurprised by this reaction, the Super Soldier paused just long enough to glance at his hastily appointed guards, the doors closing behind them, before scowling at Ross. "You're making a mistake, General."

"Wrong, Rogers! You and your Avengers are the ones who made a mistake! When you let that ugly green freak into that fancy mansion of yours!" Ross snarled in a voice rife with bile and hatred. Then he made his way over towards the front of the MCC and began speaking. "This is General Ross to all Hulkbuster units! The Avengers and the Hulk have refused to surrender! I repeat, the Hulk is _not _surrendering!"

"General, don't do this," Captain America told him, still maintaining his even voice. "If you do this, you'll be putting hundreds, possibly thousands of innocent lives at risk."

"Hmph! You Avengers are the ones who started this!" Ross shot back, completely unconcerned. "If you were so worried about civilians, you should have handed the Hulk and Walters over when you had the chance!" Returning his focus to the situation at hand, he ordered, "You know your objectives, people! I want the Hulk down and captured, and Walters found! Dead or alive!"

"Stop this, General," Captain America tried once more, hoping to avert a cataclysmic battle. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I will tell you that you are making the worst mistake of your career. And if you don't stop right now, it will most likely your last."

"All bombers and gunships, your job is to take out any defensive systems those Stark complexes might have," Ross continued, completely ignoring Captain America. "Soften them up so that ground units can secure them."

"My Avengers ID Card is on, General! Everything we've said is being transmitted to the local news networks!" Captain America announced with even greater force, hoping that this statement would penetrate Ross's hatred, at least enough to warrant his attention. "The security cameras here, everything is being broadcast to the rest of the city! And from what I've learned about the modern world, it won't be long before that's picked up by every network out there!"

No one said anything to this, not even Ross. As he stood there, his gaze focused on the General, Captain America was aware of everyone's reactions to this statement. Looks of confusion and uncertainty were exchanged among the technicians. But there was also an air of fear about them, like children that had been caught by their parents doing something forbidden. And that a harsh punishment would not be long in following.

The heavy silence was finally pierced when one of the technicians started. "Uh...General Ross...sir?" he nervously started. "It's Director Hill again. She -"

"Blast it all! Ignore her! Block all signals from SHIELD!" Ross thundered, glaring at the tech with such force that he looked as if he had been burned by the General's glare alone. As the tech frantically acted on his orders, Ross grumbled, "I should have figured that little girl would lose her nerve..."

"More likely that she's been monitoring the news, and that SHIELD has already confirmed that what I've been telling you is the truth," Captain America countered, determined to do his all to stop this disaster before it ended up with people getting hurt or worse. When Ross responded to his words with a hiss of annoyance and another hateful glare, the Super Soldier pressed forward. "Just talk to her. If I've been lying, then you'll lose nothing except for maybe a few seconds. But if I'm telling the truth...then you may just save your career. And spare countless innocents needless pain and grief."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm saying this, but blast it, Ross! <em>Listen to him!"<em> Hill growled beneath her breath. She knew that there was no way that the General could hear her unless he opened a channel to receive her signal, but while she was loathe to admit it, there was no getting around the fact that she was just that desperate for Ross to see sense. "Just open a channel already!"

"He's not going for it, sir!" Quartermain muttered, his voice rife with concern. "You know how badly he wants to take down the Hulk! He won't let this stop him, not when he has the Hulk in his sights!"

_He _better _go for it! Or else it's all over!_ Hill thought feverishly, despite being painfully aware that it was all too likely Quartermain was correct. She knew of Ross's record, how he had relentlessly and obsessively tracked the Hulk all over the United States, recklessly seizing any and all opportunities to try and capture the first known gamma monstrosity, no matter how abysmal the odds of success. Of the laws he had trampled, of his abuses of power, of the reckless and dangerous actions he had taken, endangering his own people, civilian populations, and even SHIELD agents in the process. _Damn! Why'd I ever do this, anyway?! Set him loose on LA?! Give him so much authority?!_

But even as she asked this, Hill realized she knew that answer; because the Avengers also knew how dangerous Ross could be, what a loose cannon he was. The Hulk and Hawkeye had firsthand experience in dealing with rogue General, and it wouldn't take much effort for Stark to dig up all the gory details of his checkered career. So she had decided that Ross would be the perfect threat to push the Avengers into a corner and leave them with no legal means of getting out. To make them realize that registering and joining SHIELD on her terms was their only real option.

But she had never imagined that the Avengers would be able to concoct a bizarre array of legal trickery such as this. She had never thought that she would be put in the position of having to try and put the leash back on Ross when he was within striking distance of his quarry.

_And now I'm paying for it!_ Hill shrieked inwardly, knowing that she would now be kicking herself for her oversight if she thought for a second it would do her any good. _If Ross actually goes ahead with this...!_

* * *

><p>"This is it, everyone; the moment of truth," Sally declared, her heart pounding so hard that she felt like it would soon jump out of her chest. For while she could no longer see Captain America or Ross, she could hear everything they said perfectly. And so, in this brief moment of silence between the two soldiers, she filled that silence with her usual commentary. "General Ross is primed and ready to launch an attack on every Stark-owned facility within Los Angeles, regardless of the strong possibility of civilian casualties. Now the only question remaining is; will he actually do it?"<p>

As if he were somehow answering her question, Ross's voice was then heard. "Hmph! That monstrosity causes innocents grief and misery every day he's allowed to roam free!" A beat passed before he added, "I want eyes watching out for the Avengers! Especially Thor! If they try to interfere, do whatever you can to either take them out or keep them occupied!"

"Ross, stop this now!" Captain America demanded, sounding not at all like someone who was being held prisoner. "Stop before this all ends in tragedy!"

"The only thing that I'm stopping, Rogers, is the Hulk's days of terrorizing the world! And before you start mewling and whining about all those 'innocent people' that might get hurt, let me give you a little lesson in the ways of war." There was a horrid pause before Ross's hateful voice was heard saying, "There are _always _casualties!" As Sally's heart seized at the brutality of this statement, the rogue General sounded, "All Hulkbuster units! _Open fire!"_

Now Sally honestly felt as if her heart was bursting from her chest. _He really did it...!_ she thought, caught between the horror one would naturally feel at the prospect of a destructive battle...and the thrill of her story getting bigger and bigger.

It was ultimately all she had time to think before the sounds of explosions sounded throughout the city.

* * *

><p>Inside the newly minted Wakandan resident mission, the sounds of explosions echoed throughout the complex. Hawkeye could feel the very air shaking about him, vibrating his insides in a very disconcerting way. As the ex-SHIELD agent looked warily about, watching to see if any part of the building was about to fall on him, Iron Man demanded, "JARVIS, status! Were we hit?!"<p>

"Fortunately not, sir," JARVIS obediently answered, completely unruffled by the successive explosions that rattled the complex. "I was able to raise the facility's shields as soon as Ross gave the order to fire. We took no damage as a result. Shields are holding."

"For now, at least," Hawkeye remarked as a third round of explosions shook them badly. "And by the way, have I mentioned how glad I am that this place actually _has _shields?"

"Just part of the standard defense systems for any Stark-owned place of business," Iron Man explained with a wry smile. "With folks like AIM and Hammer always looking for new ways to steal my tech, I have to be ready for the worst."

While Hawkeye was actually considering admitting that he was glad that Stark was actually on the ball for once, another voice broke in. "I just don't believe it..." Ant-Man murmured, his voice low with horror. "He actually did it...!"

Suppressing the urge to snort, Hawkeye retorted, "Like there was actually any doubt." Then he frowned as he studied the screen he and the rest of the Avengers present were watching, on which was a tactical display showing the position of the Hulkbusters and the Stark complexes they surrounded. As well as the fact that they were not the only ones being targeted for bombardment. "What about your other businesses, Stark? How are they doing?"

"Defense systems are holding. For now, anyway," Iron Man reported as he studied the display. "But they won't hold forever. It's time for the next phase, team. JARVIS, put me through to Thor!"

"Very well, sir," JARVIS replied, heedless of the barrage. And seemingly uncaring about the fact that the Avengers were presently backed into one of the worst corners of all time.

_On the bright side, we got Maria and Ross to screw up in a major way. Their heads are gonna be on the chopping block for this one!_ Hawkeye thought in a knowing fashion, wondering what kind of punishment there was for launching an unprovoked attack on an embassy, even an impromptu one like this. _Now all we have to do is keep them from killing a whole lot of people, stop them from blowing up Tony's companies, and protect Hulk's cousin while not getting killed ourselves._ Then he made a face at the tall order being presented to them and added, _Sure, no problem..._

Trying to take comfort in the knowledge that they had been worse scrapes before and failing utterly, Hawkeye was brought back to the present when Iron Man spoke. "Thor, do you hear me?"

"Aye, Iron Man," came Thor's voice. "How fare thee?"

"How fare we? Not bad, all things considered," Iron Man announced with a dark smirk. "Except for the fact that the Hulkbusters are trying to blow us up and all, of course."

A beat passed before Thor said, "I take it that this General Ross responded to our strategy as we expected."

"Yeah, you could say that," Hawkeye announced as he glanced up at the display, getting a look at what was going on outside the building they were in. Having remained within the fences that surrounded the Stark complex, Hulk was also protected by the energy shield, but it was pretty obvious that he didn't want to be protected. The way he clenched his fists and glowered hatefully at the Hulkbuster units drove that fact home. "So, uh...when do we get to start fighting back?"

"We start right now. Whether he believes it or not, Ross has just committed a major violation of international law. Which means we have every right to defend ourselves," Iron Man responded in a resolute manner. "Thor, stay where you are for now. I'll meet you there, and then we can deal with those bombers and gunships."

"Very well. But do hurry, Iron Man," Thor replied, not bothering to disguise his eagerness. "These Hulkbusters doth sorely test my patience."

"You and me both," Iron Man admitted. With that, the armored Avenger's faceplate slid into place as he turned to face the rest of the team. "Okay, team, it's time to move out."

"Are you _sure _about this part of the plan, Tony?" Wasp wondered, giving their leader a querulous frown. "If we head out of here, won't we be leaving Jennifer pretty much unguarded?"

"I know that, Jan. We all know there's a risk in that," Iron Man admitted with a certain reluctance. "But Jennifer isn't the one Ross is after. Not really. If we leave with the Hulk, you can bet he'll follow us." A beat passed as the billionaire chuckled. "Heck, he might even think we're leading him to where Jennifer actually is, and stop knocking on these doors!"

"And _start_ knocking on some other doors," Ant-Man pointed out. "With all these people at risk -!"

"I know, Hank! But we don't have a lot of options here!" Iron Man reminded them. "Look, I know this isn't a perfect plan, but it doesn't need to be! We just have to keep the Hulkbusters too busy to do something really stupid until Hill can do something to straighten them out for us. Remember, the longer this goes on, the worse it will be for her _and _SHIELD. So you can believe she won't be just sitting by and doing nothing."

Hawkeye knew that Iron Man had a valid point, but he also knew that there was a key problem here. Hill and the helicarrier were a long ways distant from Los Angeles, and the flying fortress was many things, but incredibly fast was not one of them. Unless Ross decided to listen to her, something he showed no signs of doing, it would take time for SHIELD to arrive and put a stop to this madness. And time was something they did not have in abundance. _And with us all spread out like this, there's only so many places that we can cover! So unless Cap can pull off his end of this..._

"And while we're waiting for that to happen, thousands of people are in the firing lines," Ant-Man protested, almost seeming to have read Hawkeye's mind. "Isn't there some way we can patch Hill through to the Hulkbusters directly? Let her override Ross that way?"

"That didn't work too well the last time I bumped into the Hulkbusters," Hawkeye reported, that incident vivid in his mind. "They listen to Ross first, everybody else second."

"Besides, JARVIS has been trying to break into the Hulkbusters' frequencies, and it's a no-go. We can't do it remotely," Iron Man added. "Our only chance here is keep them at bay, at least long enough to give Hill a chance to clear this mess up for us."

With that settled, Ant-Man frowned his displeasure, while Wasp focused on the more immediate issue. "So where do we go?" she asked in an all-business manner. "We can't protect all your places at once!"

"You don't have to. You just need to keep the Hulkbusters distracted for a while. I've got it all worked out, so don't worry," Iron Man assured them. "As long as nothing goes wrong, we've -!"

"Excuse me, sir," JARVIS's voice suddenly piped up. "I hate to disturb you, but there is a problem."

As Iron Man whirled about towards the screen, Hawkeye groaned and massaged his forehead. "Great, Shellhead. Nice job jinxing us."

Pausing just long enough to glare over his shoulder at Hawkeye, Iron Man then returned his attention to the screen. "What is it, JARVIS?"

"I am monitoring the status of the Stark facilities being attacked, and detected the sound of children screaming," JARVIS explained, his artificial voice more intense than usual. "From what I have been able to determine after scanning the datastreams from the various Stark facilities, there is a school field trip underway at one of them."

In the brief silence that followed this statement, a pin would have sounded like a thunderbolt in the confined space. Which would have been nothing compared to Wasp shrilling, "_What?!_ Are you _kidding?! _Are you seriously telling us that there are _kids_ in one of those buildings?!"

"I'm afraid so, Ms. Wasp," JARVIS confirmed in a grim manner.

"And you didn't know about this until now...how?!" Iron Man testily demanded.

"The factory's schedule _did _mention a field trip _was _scheduled, sir," JARVIS admitted. "But according to the facility's records, it wasn't supposed to take place until tomorrow. I can only assume that someone rescheduled the trip without properly updating the system records."

"Find out whoever it was and remind me to fire him!" Iron Man declared, as if wondering what he could have done to deserve this. "And while you're at it, bring up the location of this field trip place and route it to the Avengers ID Cards!"

"Done, sir," JARVIS reported succinctly.

"Good. Now send Cap the signal." Again focusing on the rest of the team, Iron Man began dishing out orders. "Hank, take Wasp and Hulk to that factory and protect it. Hawkeye, you stay here and keep an eye on things!"

"Wha- me?!" Hawkeye protested. "But why me? Why not Hulk?! Aren't you the one that said that Ross will follow him anywhere he goes?! If he goes, then -!"

"Ross isn't going anywhere. You and Cap are going to make sure of that," Iron Man informed him in a no-nonsense manner. "JARVIS, fire up the weapons systems and show Hawkeye to the controls! Let's move, Avengers!"

"But -!" Hawkeye started to protest, only to be cut off by the sound of Iron Man launching himself up towards the ceiling, a convenient hatch sliding open for his use. Leaving the ex-SHIELD to slump forward and groan, "Ugh...remind me again why _he's _our leader...?"

"You're asking me?" Ant-Man remarked, giving the annoyed archer a look.

"Yeah, well, figure it out later!" Wasp declared, her voice rife with impatience. "In the meantime, we've gotta move!"

* * *

><p>Since the day he had become the first and only test subject of Prject: Rebirth, the day he had been given his costume and made a living symbol of his country, Captain America had known nothing but pride to be part of the US military. To fight the good fight, to protect those who needed protection. Never once imagining...just how thoroughly ashamed he would feel upon seeing just how low that military had sunk.<p>

"Keep firing, all of you!" Ross thundered angrily, his posture that one of barely constrained fury as he glared at the scene before him. The Hulk, the focus of all the General's hatred and rage, was standing only a short distance away, his body tensed with even greater rage as he stood behind the Wakandan mission's protective barrier. Completely unfazed by the aerial bombardment the barrier was being subjected to, as well as the fact that numerous cannons were being shot right at him. His only reaction to these things was an ever-growing expression of anger.

_It won't be much longer, big guy,_ Captain America thought grimly. _Ross has crossed the line. We're now the ones on the right side of the law. You just have to wait until -_

An instant later, something shot out from the roof of the mission, moving so fast that Captain America couldn't make out any details of it before it was gone. But there was no doubt in his mind as to what it was, and it was a suspicion that was quickly confirmed when one of the technicians present announced, "Sir! Iron Man just left the facility!"

"He's probably trying to stop the bombers. Save as much of his precious property as he can," Ross sneered disdainfully.

"He's trying to put an end to this madness, Ross," Captain America told him, unwilling to refer to this disgrace as a General any longer. Not when he was throwing so many lives to the wind in favor of indulging in his insane, obsessive hatred.

"Hmph. Either way, it's too late!" Ross declared in an officious manner. "As soon as that blasted shield is down..."

The triumph in Ross's words unspoken but clear nonetheless, Captain America continued to watch, until a familiar beeping sound was heard coming from his utility belt. _The signal..._ he thought, a tiny curl appearing at the end of his lip. _Good. Hulk's not the only one who's feeling impatient._

"What's that noise?" one of the Hulkbusters demanded, pressing the muzzle of his gun against Captain America's shoulder.

"My Avengers ID Card," Captain America responded, giving only as much attention to his guards as was necessitated at the moment. His every sense primed and on the alert for the opening he needed. "I did say it was on."

"Well, then turn it off!" the other Hulkbuster guard demanded. "That beeping is getting on my -!"

Another round of energy blasts was heard, different from those being launched by the various Hulkbuster vehicles. This was followed by brilliant flashes of light filling the windshield of the MCC, as well as shockwaves shaking the vehicle badly. "What the thunder -?!" Ross howled, raising his arm before his eyes, shielding them from the blinding flashes. Even as everybody else in the MCC reacted similarly, blinded, distracted, and confused the sudden return barrage.

_Perfect,_ was all Captain America could think, undismayed and primed to take advantage of this sudden lapse of concentration. Not letting this chance slip by, he raised his arms up somewhat before driving his elbows into the midriffs of his guards. Protected by their armor, the two Hulkbusters were relatively unfazed by the blows, but they were startled, knocked off-balance, and already distraught and confused by the earlier distraction. Allowing the Super Soldier plenty of time to retrieve his shield from his back and whirl about to face them.

"Look out! General, he - ugh!" one of the Hulkbusters cried out, only to be abruptly silenced when Captain America drove his shield into the front of his protective helmet. But even that helmet wasn't enough to keep it's wearer from crying out in pain as he staggered backwards, while his partner raised his weapon to fire. Taking note of this, the living legend dropped down beneath the muzzle and pivoted into a leg sweep that knocked the second guard off his feet, sending him toppling towards his already off-balanced partner.

"What - Rogers?!" Ross angrily cried out even as Captain America took full advantage of his guards' vulnerability, raining down a combination of blows at the joints of their armors, attacking their softest points in just the right way to leave them unconscious but not too badly hurt. "Blast it all, mister! I'm going to -!"

"You're not doing anything, Ross," Captain America assured him in a resolute manner, standing straight and raising his shield in readiness. All the while looking through the windshield, taking in what was happening outside. Seeing a series of repulsor cannons and missile launchers that had appeared from the new Wakandan mission, all of them returning what the Hulkbusters were dishing out. Just as he saw the Hulk a short distance away.

It was the Hulk that was the focus of Captain America's attention at that moment. The green goliath was glaring at something, something too small for the Super Soldier to see, likely either Ant-Man or Wasp. It was clear that he was saying something, and while Captain America could not hear a word being said, he could easily see the look of angered disbelief on Hulk's face.

"Sir! The Hulk!" one of the technicians present called out. Ross turned just in time to see the jade giant scowl angrily, his features filled with more frustration and distaste than Captain America could recall having seen in him before. But these didn't last long, for Hulk eventually scowled his disgust and leapt through the air, the shield protecting the complex allowing him to exit without penalty.

"He's leaving! Going after Walters!" Ross snarled wrathfully. "All Hulkbusters, move to - gah!" The older General was abruptly cut off by the shield of Captain America shooting into his chest, sending him crashing to the floor with a cry of pain.

"No, Ross. We're not going anywhere," Captain America declared even as he caught the rebounding shield. "You've caused enough damage to this city, its people, and our friends this day." Sliding the shield into place on his left forearm, the living legend took a battle-ready stance. "Now it's _my _turn to give _you _a lesson in the ways of war," he declared even as Ross sat up, giving him a pained glare. "And it's a lesson that you will not forget."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Yes, I know, a rotten place for me to end this chapter. But the fact is, I have some seriously major league fight scenes planned here, and they were just too major for me to be able to cram them in here. Plus, I figured people would be getting impatient to see what the Avengers were up to, so here you go. Nonetheless, I hope everyone enjoys, and that you all read and review.<p>

PhinalPhantasy, good guess. Not quite, but close.

Rassilon001, you better believe things are picking up, and they're just going to get more intense. Though you can wager that the World Security Council is going to be none too happy with Hill when this is over. And thanks, I'm quite pleased with that scene with Captain America as well. It's one of those things I had in mind right from the word go.

adlerj, sorry to take so long, but please understand that real life concerns have to be a priority for me. And I do try to get into the heads of the various characters. They are all parts of the story, after all. And I do agree that Hank isn't too realistic about rehabilitation. After all, a person has to want to change before they can change. It think it's long been established that Ross's sanity is definitely questionable, to say the least.

GreenScar1990, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait for the next chapter to see Hulk smash some Hulkbusters, but I do hope that it will be worth the wait. And since when has Ross been one to learn from his mistakes?

Quathis, indeed, Ross and Hill will be in the hot seat when it's all over.

DJ Rodriguez, T'Challa is indeed a strong leader. As was shown during Kang's invasion. You can expect Steve and Clint to get back at Tony, as I'm sure they've had to deal with their share of hazing. It would be nice to see a story pairing Wasp and Hulk at some point, and indeed, both Ross and Maria are their own worst enemies for the most part. Their obsessions are ultimately their own downfalls.

Star Saber21, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer for Jen to hulk-out, but I do hope that it will be worth the wait. I do agree that she doesn't get nearly the respect she deserves.

The Fox Boss, don't worry, I'll be having some more ladies of Eva going to the dark side soon enough.

general zargon, Thor is going to be helping to blast some Hulkbusters soon enough.


	8. One Battle Won

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 8: One Battle Won...

_We shouldn't be doing this..._ Hulk growled inwardly as he came down to land upon the busy streets of Los Angeles, only to coil his powerful legs and again launch himself through the air. Barely paying attention to the many explosions that were echoing up and down the busy streets, the way the people around him fearfully looked up into the sky and watched as bomb after bomb was loosed upon the city by the military forces that supposedly protected them.

As much as the Hulk disliked thinking about it, let alone giving voice to it, he knew just how thoroughly damaged he was inside. He knew the concept of psychosis, of multiple personalities, he knew that there were many who would consider him insane. And in all honesty, he wouldn't be able to blame anyone for thinking so. He, Banner, and the other aspects of the doctor that made up their shared consciousness were always at war. Even those parts of their identity that were subdued were always struggling to unleash themselves. The greed, the guilt, the devil, and so much more, always fighting to get free, and remake their shared body in their own image.

And yet, despite all of this, the Hulk had never felt as torn as he did at that moment.

People were in danger. Innocent people who had done nothing to deserve being thrust into the middle of Ross's insane hunt for the Hulk. Including children whose only crime was to unknowingly be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of them could be hurt, perhaps even killed, all because Ross didn't care what happened to anyone, just so long as he got the revenge that was the focus of his every waking moment.

_But Jennifer's in danger!_ Hulk couldn't help but think, unable to keep himself from glancing back the way he had came. And despite the fact that he could no longer see the impromptu embassy the Avengers were using to shelter his cousin, his only real family, he could all-too easily imagine the Hulkbusters as they continued to batter away at the protective force field that kept them at bay. Worse, he could picture them breaking that force field down, overrunning the complex, overwhelming Hawkeye, and then...

_I should be with her! _the Hulk snarled inwardly, fighting those images. Fighting the urge to turn back and place himself between Jennifer and those that would take her from him.

But people were in danger. People that were as innocent and undeserving of the fate that the Hulkbusters would give them as Jennifer was.

_The others can protect them!_ Hulk couldn't help but think.

But the others who were with him, Ant-Man and Wasp, couldn't. They were good people, and heroes in their own right. But they simply didn't have the kind of power that the Hulk possessed. And Iron Man and Thor, their other two big guns, were busy elsewhere, putting into action the armor-user's plan to neutralize much of the Hulkbusters' forces all over the city, not just in one place. A plan that could very likely save many lives, all over the city.

_But...!_ Hulk thought, holding back the rage that drove him as he once again flashed back to the image of his cousin, bruised and broken and still far too fragile after what had been done to her. Easy prey for anyone that succeeded in bypassing what defenses had been left around her. A kindly, gentle person who had unconditionally accepted him and his bizarre nature. The only real family he had in this world. And he was leaving her behind with General Ross and his armed thugs. _I can't - I have to -!_

"Hulk, please," came the familiar voice of Bruce Banner. Starting at it, the green goliath glanced towards the source, and saw his other self, the core from which he had sprung, seemingly gliding alongside him. Angered by this sudden intrusion, the gamma-powered Avenger snarled, and was about to give voice to his ire when Bruce stated, "I know how you feel about all this."

_Do you?!_ Hulk silently demanded, knowing full well that Banner wouldn't be able to hear it. The Hulk's thoughts were his alone, just as Banner's were his. But he knew his other self would be able to see the rage on his face. He didn't know how that worked, and in all likelihood, neither did Banner, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was angry, dangerously so, and not in the mood for a lecture of any kind.

"Jennifer is as much my cousin as she is yours," Bruce went on, unfazed by the Hulk's fury. "And I don't want Ross hurting anymore than he already has. So I would rather be back there as well, Hulk. Believe me." Normally, the green goliath was unimpressed by words, but even so, he could still see a muted rage in the frail scientist's features. It was hard to see; Banner had kept his true emotions buried as best as possible, even before the fateful day of the Gamma Bomb that had given birth to the Hulk. But the Hulk knew Banner as no other being could. And he knew full well what the slight but perceptible tensing of his brows, the way his features hardened. "But you and I both know what Jennifer would want for us to do."

Hulk was sorely tempted to retort that they couldn't possibly know for sure what Jennifer wanted because she was unconscious and completely helpless. But even as this temptation fluttered through his mind, he growled lowly, for the truth was that Banner was right. He knew what Jennifer would want for him. He knew that if he asked her if she should protect her life or those of others, she would gladly tell him that he needed to protect the many innocents imperiled by Ross's madness, not just her one life.

"I know..." Hulk finally growled, this admission coming only great effort. Because it was that selflessness and compassion that made it so much harder for the gamma titan to not turn back, if only because they were things he had known so little in his life. "But..."

"Huh?" came a perplexed voice. Once again startled and angered as a result, Hulk glanced about to see a familiar, tiny form darting closer to him. "Did you say something, Hulk?"

"Uh..." Hulk muttered, coming down from his leap even as Wasp moved to follow him downwards. "No."

If Wasp said anything at first, it was drowned by the crashing sound of roughly half a ton of Hulk coming down upon the concrete. But as the artificial stone cracked and shattered beneath his weight and the emerald titan again launched himself skyward, the winged Avenger continued to follow him. "You're worried about leaving Jennifer," Wasp eventually said, her wings stinging the sore spot that had already been tenderized by Banner. "Hulk -"

Hulk very nearly retorted in a harsh manner. He had already been lectured by his other self, and that was enough. He knew what had to be done, what Jennifer would want for him to do. He didn't need any other reminders, and more importantly, the fact that someone wouldn't trust him to do what was required of him made him that much angrier, made him want to lash out that much more. But even as his anger rose up and sought out a convenient focus, Banner again spoke. "Don't be upset with her," the scrawny scientist instructed his mighty other self. "She's just concerned, that's all."

Hulk already knew that, but Banner's words were effective enough to stop the anger that had already been twisting his tongue to launch a scathing response. So instead, the green goliath shot a glance at her, and returned, "Hawkeye will keep an eye on her."

Hoping this would satisfy his teammate, Hulk continued onward. Only to wince when Wasp persisted. "But you're still worried, aren't you," she inquired, her tone making it clear that this wasn't actually a question. "Look, I don't blame you. A lot's going on, and..." Trailing off, the winged Avenger frowned somewhat, only for her eyes to brighten with obvious inspiration. "Look, if you like, I could have JARVIS keep me updated on what's going on back at the factory. That way, I can keep you posted on what's going on, let you know if anything happens..."

This statement caught the Hulk's full attention, and very nearly resulted in him botching his next landing. But the green-skinned behemoth was quick to recover even as came down to the ground once more. But this time, he didn't immediately launch himself airborne again; instead, he gave his unlikely friend a look of surprise. "You - really?"

"Of course!" Wasp promptly assured him. "I mean...she's your cousin, right? So I just figured that -"

"Jan, Hulk, what do you think you're doing?!" came the incredulous voice of Ant-Man. Turning towards the source of the voice, they saw a miniscule figure descend towards them upon a winged ant. "We have to keep moving! Lives are at stake here, remember?!"

"Uh - sorry!" Wasp got out, looking much like a little girl that had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "It's just -!"

"Just nothing. Let's move," Hulk immediately growled, scowling as he again coiled his legs and leapt into the air. His anger once again finding a focus...and that focus was himself.

Lives were at stake. Many innocent lives, not just Jennifer's. And while the Hulk dearly wanted to be at her side, protecting her from Ross and his forces, the green goliath still had a job to do. And with so much at stake, there was no time to allow himself to be distracted by his own inner turmoil, no time for arguing with himself. This wasn't a time for thinking, this was a time for smashing.

As Hulk once more shot through the air, the wind whipping at his hair and his mind conjuring up images of Hulkbusters who would soon learn what 'Hulk Smash!' meant in the most painful manner possible, the sound of tiny wings beating sounded nearby. Glancing over to the side, the jade giant spotted Wasp flying a short distance away, her own embarrassment clear in her features. Her only crime being wanting to offer Hulk a rare bit of comfort in this trying time.

"Uh, Wasp?" Hulk started, hesitant as he tried to articulate something other than the rage that came so naturally to him. Taking note of the fact that she was being spoken to, Wasp promptly altered her trajectory so as to match the Hulk's own arc through the air. Giving him a puzzled look, she continued to fly alongside of him as he growled lowly in his throat before finally managing to get out, "Thanks for...you know."

A puzzled look appeared on Wasp's face before comprehension replaced it, followed quickly by a pleasant smile. "Hey, what are friends for?" As Hulk indulged himself in a tiny smile of his own, the winged adventuress let out a tiny gasp before retrieving her Avengers' ID Card. "In fact, I better get in touch with JARVIS right now. You know, before we're up to our necks in jerks needing to be beat up!"

Unable to argue with the wisdom of that notion, Hulk simply watched as Wasp began working her ID Card. "JARVIS? Could you keep me posted on everything going on at the factory?" she tersely asked Stark's AI. "And keep us updated if there's any change in Jennifer's condition while you're at it! Okay?"

"Certainly, Ms. Van Dyne," JARVIS quickly replied. "Sadly, there has been no change in Ms. Walters' condition. The factory defenses are presently holding. However, the aerial bombardment is causing the shields to degrade. If it continues, shield power will be depleted within ten minutes."

Hulk's body shuddered with barely constrained rage, and if he had been on the ground, he didn't think he would have been able to restrain himself from turning back to protect his cousin. But even as he suffered this urge, Wasp asked, "What about Tony and Thor? Are they ready to do something about that?!"

"Mr. Stark will soon rendezvous with Thor," JARVIS assured her. "Also, Captain America and Hawkeye are working to keep the Hulkbusters here...suitably occupied."

* * *

><p>When Steve Rogers had stepped into the arena of war as Captain America, he had quickly learned that, in a battlefield situation, there was always a great deal that you needed to keep aware of. Weapons being fired, enemy movements and stratagems, the efforts of your own allies. All of these things had to be kept in mind, to avoid being felled by the opposition, or falling victim to friendly fire.<p>

But at the same time, it was equally vital to keep your focus on your own situation. To concentrate the bulk of your focus on your own mission, and to trust in your fellow soldiers to carry out their own duties, and to do them well. Whether that duty meant providing covering fire for you or providing a distraction or some similarly vital assignment, you had to have faith that they would do their job, and focus your energies on what you yourself needed to do.

So as Captain America launched himself at General Ross, he was fully aware of the battle that was going on outside the Hulkbusters' Mobile Command Center. He heard every missile exploding, every energy blast being fired, he heard the confused shouts of the Hulkbusters both inside and outside the vehicle, and he felt the MCC shaking badly with blast, explosion, and shockwave it suffered as a result of the battle they were in. He was aware of them, and adjusted to them, but he didn't dwell on them.

He had a mission to accomplish. A job that needed to be done. And Captain America refused to be distracted from that mission.

General Ross remained sprawled on the floor, still stunned from the blow he had taken from the Captain's mighty shield, but that didn't mean that the rogue general was out of action. Already, Ross was reaching for his sidearm, but the super soldier was determined that he wouldn't get a chance to use it. Rushing towards his fallen foe, he watched as Ross raised his weapon, and then drove the edge of his shield down upon his wrist. Crying out in pain, the rogue general nonetheless kept his grip on his weapon, and squirmed about on the floor, trying to free himself.

Captain America didn't give him that chance. Without a second thought, he fired a punch into the rogue general's nose, breaking it instantly. The sudden shock and pain was sufficient to cause Ross to lose his grip on his weapon, and with the sound of metal tumbling down upon metal, the super soldier raised his shield and grabbed the obsessive General by the front of his uniform. "This ends right here, Ross!" Captain America declared, effortlessly picking Ross up, then slamming down upon a nearby control panel. "You're done!"

"Never!" Ross howled defiantly, completely mindless of the blood pouring from his nose. His eyes burning with consummate hatred, he met Captain America's gaze unflinchingly. "You can do whatever the hell you want! This is one soldier who's _never _gonna surrender!"

"I'm not asking for your surrender," Captain America immediately countered, having dealt with obsessive madmen such as Ross in the past. Knew full well the folly of attempting to reason with them. Raising his shield over Ross's head, he uttered, "I'm _saying..._you're do-!"

It was the tiniest of noises. So slight that virtually anyone could have missed it in that moment. But Captain America was no ordinary man, and so his ears pricked at the slight but distinct noise of movement from behind, as of a weapon being drawn. Acting on pure instinct, he again took Ross in both hands. In one easy movement, he hefted the determined madman over his head, and threw him in the direction of the sound. As Ross flew through the air, the Captain saw one of the personnel of the MCC at his station, gun in hand, crying out in surprised confusion as his own commanding officer tumbled towards him. Ross crashed down upon the would-be shooter and another nearby soldier.

The remaining personnel onboard the MCC looked towards their fallen commander and the two subordinates that Captain America had laid low with him before turning their gazes towards the super soldier. In turn, the Captain quickly studied the situation before him. It was clear that the remaining soldiers were suitably impressed by his feat, and none of them were going for their weapons. Ross was done, though likely not for the count. He had been disarmed, however, and as fanatical as he was, he was not only injured, but clearly past his prime. Captain America had no doubt that if he tried starting more trouble, he could handle him, along with the others present, as long as he remained alert.

But at the same time, the danger to Los Angeles and all those who lived there remained. It grew greater with every second that passed. And Captain America was there to try and put an end to this senseless chaos, or at the very least, neutralize as many of the enemy as possible. He couldn't waste any more time on fighting than absolutely necessary.

Also, the soldiers before him were younger ones. Their features not hard and cruel like those of Ross or Talbot. And if there was any chance that he could get through to them...

"Listen up, people!" Captain America declared in an authoritative voice. "I know you are all trained to follow orders, but you have to understand that Ross's orders are putting the lives of millions of innocent people in danger! Unless we can put an end to this _now_, good people, people whose rights and lives are protected under the Constitution that each of you have taken an oath to protect and support, _will_ die! Now you can either persist in following the orders of a madman...or you can stand down. And let me put an end to this nightmare."

A beat passed as Captain America surveyed the soldiers before him, watched as conflict inscribed itself on their features, conflict he understood. For as he had said, soldiers were trained to follow orders. It was the willingness to follow orders, to trust your superiors and your fellow soldiers that kept an army from degenerating into a mob, that it kept functioning as the well-oiled machine it had to be in order to prevail in a conflict. And now, he was challenging them to disregard that training, to heed their own ideas of right and wrong.

Several seconds passed as the soldiers looked amongst themselves, seconds which Captain America knew were vital. But at the same time, he hoped that they would do the right thing, that they would help him end this nightmare quickly before it got even worse. That they would...

"Captain..." came one soft, nervous voice. As the super soldier turned towards the source, he saw one soldier, younger than the others, swallow slowly before asking, "Is it true what you said? About the Hulk having immunity?"

Smiling encouragement at this youth who was listening to his heart and not just orders, Captain America returned, "Yes, it is true. But you don't have to take my word alone. Contact SHIELD, and they'll -"

_"Traitor!"_ roared a voice filled with hatred and madness, followed by the sound of a gunshot. The youth Captain America had focused on let out a pained cry as a metal slug erupted from his right shoulder, causing him to tumble from his seat, clutching at his wound.

At that moment, Captain America wanted to kick himself. He had been focusing on his goal to the exclusion of keeping track of his surroundings. Giving General Ross enough time to recover his bearings and grab a weapon, most likely the one that had fallen from the hand the super soldier had thrown him into. And now, one of Ross's own people was paying for that oversight as the rogue general rose up, mindless of how his nose continued to spill blood, his weapon trained on Captain America. "I told you before, Rogers!" he snarled, smashing his fist down on a nearby control. "I will _not -!"_

Not bothering to listen to the rest of Ross's rhetoric, Captain America threw his shield and simultaneously dove to the left. Acting on instinct, Ross fired his weapon at the Captain. But he missed the super soldier, and even worse, made the same mistake the Captain had made; he had remained focused on his objective and failed to keep track of his present situation. And thus failed to dodge when the shield found its target, and this time flew straight and true into Ross's head.

As the rogue General crashed down upon the floor, however, Captain America scowled, for the damage had been done. The door to the MCC slid open, revealing even more Hulkbusters even as his shield rebounded back to his hand. Three of the armored troops were quick to spill into the MCC, and whether they were summoned by the control Ross had smashed or they had somehow heard the gunshot from within the MCC, it made no difference. The first thing they did upon entry was level their weapons at the Captain, with one of them shouting, "Hold it right there!"

_Congratulations, Ross,_ Captain America scowled as he tensed himself for renewed conflict. _You've just taken this mess and made it that bigger. And that much harder to clean up._

There was no more time for thought as the Hulkbusters opened fire. Leaving the Captain no time to do anything but fight back.

* * *

><p>"I don't believe this!" Iron Man grumbled as he flew ever higher into the air, effortlessly evading the numerous missiles, bombs, and even enemy firepower as he made his way to the rendezvous point. "Doesn't the military have regular sanity checks?! How did this fruitcake make General to begin with?!"<p>

"I assume that is a rhetorical question, sir," JARVIS noted in his typically dry fashion.

"More like a mental note to check on military policies regarding obviously unstable lunatics who should have been put out to pasture!" Iron Man retorted, rolling his eyes at his own creation's exceedingly literal nature. "And to give Hill a serious chewing out about letting him loose on Los Angeles while I'm at it and - _yeow!"_

An energy blast coming within inches of blasting him right in the faceplate snapped Iron Man out of his grumbling. Glancing at the information coming through on his HUD, the armored Avenger glanced towards the source of the blast, and spotted a Hulkbuster helicopter angling in for a better shot.

For a long moment, Iron Man was strongly tempted to hash it out with this particular annoyance. This had already been a long, stressful day, and it felt like the universe at large had been going into overdrive, coming up with new and inventive ways of making the life of him and the rest of the Avengers utterly miserable. And with so much pressure falling squarely upon his shoulders, it was a great temptation to take that frustration out on one of the many irritants that he had to deal with.

But that would have been a mistake. As much as the others accused him of shooting first, thinking later, Iron Man had learned some hard lessons since the Avengers had first assembled, and one of those lessons was that you had to pick your battles. He could dispense with this lone helicopter easily enough, but there was more going on than that the one helicopter. Everywhere he looked, Hulkbuster craft went about, fanning the flames of destruction and unleashing their arsenals on the city below. Too many lives were in danger, and one way or another, they had to put an end to this.

_And that's not the only reason..._ Iron Man reminded himself, forcing himself to be satisfied with giving that helicopter pilot a very dirty look. _But don't think you're getting off scot-free, flyboy! We'll be dealing with you and your fellow 'busters soon enough!_

With this in mind, Iron Man continued upwards. "Thor! Do you copy?!" he announced, preparing himself for what was to come. "I'm about thirty seconds away! You ready?!"

"Verily, Iron Man!" Thor returned, his eagerness for battle plain in his voice.

"Good!" Then Iron Man focused on his own end of this strategy. "JARVIS, begin charging the EMP generators for maximum output!"

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied, offering none of the backtalk that he was so well known for. Glad for so succinct a response, Iron Man continued flying until he finally made visual contact with his fellow Avenger. Only to blanch at the sight of Thor flying towards an attacking gunship.

"What the -?!" Iron Man started, a cold chill running down his spine as he realized what was about to happen. The gunship was firing relentlessly at the Asgardian Avenger, while Thor continued to shoot towards it, completely undeterred by a hailstorm of bullets and missiles that would have shredded an ordinary human. Realizing his teammates intent, the armor-user cried out, "Wait! Thor! _Don't!"_

Unfortunately and to Iron Man's dismay, Thor either didn't hear or didn't listen, and instead plowed into the gunship, hammer first. Crumbling before the impact of something even harder than adamantium, the gunship instantly fell apart. The pilots immediately launched themselves away from their decimated craft, deploying their parachutes. But the problem Thor had inadvertently created remained.

"Thor, _stop!"_ Iron Man called out even as he took aim at the falling remains of the gunship and unleashed a barrage of repulsor blasts. As what remained of the craft savagely exploded, leaving behind only tiny scraps of debris that continued to fall, he looked up to see his comrade already whirling his hammer about, gathering up a huge electrical charge. "Aren't you _listening?!"_ he demanded, raising his hand towards Thor and punctuating his words with another repulsor blast. _"Stop!"_

The blast struck Thor squarely in the middle of his back. Crying out in pained surprise, he whirled about, murder in his eyes. "Who dares strike the - _Iron Man?!"_ His sudden rage taking on a hint of confusion, the Asgardian flew towards the heroic billionaire. "For what reason do you attack _me?!"_

"To stop you from taking a big mess and making it even - _look out!"_ Without another word, Iron Man shoved Thor out of the way of an oncoming missile. As the Asgardian let out a noise of indignation, the armor-user then glanced towards the source of the attack; another helicopter, one of the ones escorting the bombers. "Ugh, we don't have time for this!" Iron Man irately declared, unleashing a couple of repulsor blasts on the attacking craft. "Get lost!"

Fortunately, the warning shots had their intended effect; the helicopter swung away in order to avoid taking a hit. "While I still do not understand why you attacked me before, Iron Man, I do appreciate your efforts in this instance," Thor muttered, again twirling his hammer. "But now I -!"

"Thor, _no!_ Don't attack them!" Iron Man instructed his ally, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"What?!" Thor blurted, glancing over his shoulder at Iron Man. "Why not?! They are the enemy! They're imperiling the innocents who reside in this city!"

"That's right, and we don't want to wind up doing the same!" Iron Man retorted. When Thor's eyes widened somewhat in surprised confusion, the armored Avenger went on to explain, "Look, we have the power to blow up every Hulkbuster in the sky, but have you stopped to think about what would happen to them _after _we do that?!"

A beat passed before Thor returned, "I assumed that they would simply abandon their craft, as did -"

"I'm not talking about the crew, I'm talking about what's _left _of the ships!" Iron Man pointed out. "You know, as in the parts that could very easily fall down on people? Parts that could still have _live ordnance in them?!"_

This statement riveted Thor's attention, and it was clear from the surprised expression on his face that he had failed to consider this aspect. But Iron Man knew weapons, having spent years designing and developing instruments of destruction for the military and SHIELD, and he was fully aware that missiles, bombs, and other such ordnance could not only survive the initial destruction of the craft carrying them, but could still be viable even after coming crashing down to earth. Viable enough to explode.

"Look, I know we went all-out with Kang and when Hydra and AIM went to war with each other," Iron Man went on, wincing at the thought of those infamous battles, "but we didn't have any other options. But these Hulkbuster ships are different. I _know _the kind of tech used in them! Which means that we have a way of taking out their air support _without _causing a lot of damage to the city."

Blinking a couple times at this, Thor then lowered his hammer. "And how would we do that?"

Grateful that his comrade was listening and thinking, Iron Man quickly answered. "First, I need you to do what you did with the helicarrier; whip up some serious storm activity." As Thor smiled at this prospect, the armor-user quickly elaborated, "But not as heavy, understood? No tornadoes; a lot of wind and storm, but nothing more than that! And I need this thing to cover the city! Can you do it?"

"Aye," Thor nodded before raising his hammer overhead and spinning it into action. An instant later, the light, fluffy clouds that had dotted the sky began to billow up and grow, spreading forth in the form of grotesque thunderheads that rapidly darkened the sky. The wind quickly began picking up, and jags of lightning quickly became evident.

Unsurprisingly, the Hulkbusters took notice of the sudden shift in the weather, and it didn't take long for them to realize what the cause was. Even as Thor went to work, Iron Man's sensors pinged for his attention. "Keep it up, Thor," the armored Avenger ordered as he turned in the direction of the oncoming threat. "I'll keep the opposition of your back."

Thor didn't bother responding to this, which was just fine by Iron Man. Focusing his attention on the approaching aircraft, he raised both hands at them, and unleashed a couple of repulsor blasts just off to their sides. He wanted to drive them away, not detonate them over a populated area if he could avoid it.

One of the craft veered away, and was followed shortly by a second one. But the third, a gunship, completely disregarded the warning shots and continued to approach, weapons blazing and missiles flying. _Great. There's _always _at least one idiot!_ Iron Man scowled inwardly, focusing his armor's shields to the front and expanding them so as to give Thor maximum coverage. As the incoming barrage exploded harmlessly, the armored Avengers scowled at the gunship as it flew past, already banking to try for another shot.

However, even as it did so, the weather quickly worsened. Even as Iron Man and Thor continued to hover within the eye of the building storm, they watched as the winds grew ever stronger just outside their meteorological oasis. Rain began to fall, and lightning leapt from one cloud to another, forcing the gunship that had just attacked them to try and flow with the storm, to focus on staying airborne and keep from being hammered by the natural forces being unleashed.

"How's the weather looking, JARVIS?" Iron Man wondered, knowing that precision was critical if his plan was going to work. "Are these skies still safe to fly?"

"Only barely, sir," JARVIS reported after taking a moment to analyze the declining weather conditions. "Wind speeds are reaching critical levels. Any higher, and tornadoes and wind shear are likely to occur."

"Alright, then! Thor!" Iron Man called out, holding out his hand towards his Asgardian ally. "This is perfect! Just keep the winds blowing at this level!"

Frowning somewhat, Thor glanced about at the miasma of storm clouds he had called forth, and the antagonistic aircraft that still flitted between them. "But the Hulkbusters aren't yet retreating!"

"Don't worry, they will! Just as soon as I get through with them!" Iron Man declared, scowling beneath his faceplates at their foes. "JARVIS, prepare electromagnetic pulse! Set it for maximum range, and modulate the frequency to match with those used in navigational systems and radar! We're gonna leave the Hulkbusters flying blind!"

"Acknowledged. Modulating the EMP generators now, sir," JARVIS reported. "Frequency match achieved. You may fire when ready, sir."

"Then by all means, JARVIS...let's shut these creeps _down!"_ Iron Man declared even as he triggered the EMP.

An instant later, a familiar whine was heard just below the howling winds that surrounded him. The data being relayed to Iron Man by his HUD showing how his EMP generators were building up power...just before releasing it all at once in a single wave of energy. And though neither he or anyone else could see the wave of energy with their naked eyes, his armor relayed to him how the EMP was spreading through the skies above Los Angeles. At the frequency it was at and their current altitude, the chances of it doing anything to interfere with anything happening in the city below was minimal at best. But as for the Hulkbusters...

"Iron Man! What is happening?!" Thor demanded even as the armor-user smirked in triumph. Watching with a sense of almost sadistic triumph as the various Hulkbuster craft wobbled perilously, their flying becoming increasingly erratic. "Is this your doing?"

"Yup! You remember how AIM was able to take out the mansion during their little war with Hydra?" When Thor gave a quick nod in response, Iron Man smirked that much more deeply. "Well, I just did something similar to the Hulkbusters. I used an EMP to shut down their radar and navigational systems."

"But they can still fly," Thor pointed out, gesturing at the airborne craft with his hammer.

"Yeah, but they can't see their targets to attack them anymore," Iron Man pointed out. "The Hulkbusters might be nuts, but I can't imagine even the craziest of them taking the chance of bombing the city at random. And with their sensors fried, they only have their own eyes to steer by. And since those eyes are filled with all kinds of nasty storm clouds, and they're stuck fighting some nasty weather as well as us, they aren't going to want to stick around any longer than they have to!" With a dangerous smile on his face, the billionaire Avenger watched as two of the nearby bombers fought against the fury of the winds, struggling to avoid clipping each other's wings. "In a situation like this, all they can do is try and get out of here as fast as they can!"

The frown and scowl on Thor's face made it clear that he wasn't entirely satisfied with this strategy. "And what's to keep them from returning once I allow the storm to pass?"

"This," Iron Man responded, holding out both his arms. With a mental command, he deployed the two multi-warhead missiles housed within his gauntlets. "JARVIS, target all Hulkbuster craft within range. Focus on their bombers. Let's mess them up just enough that they won't be in any hurry to come back and look for more trouble."

"Indeed, sir. Locking onto all Hulkbuster craft now," JARVIS intoned.

"Okay, Hulkbusters," Iron Man smirked as a number of targeting reticules appeared on his HUD, marking each and every one of the airborne opposition within his range, "smile for the birdie!"

* * *

><p><em>And I thought we had it tough when it was just the Hulk we were dealing with!<em> Wild Bill grimaced as he fought the controls of his bomber, struggling to keep it flying and in one piece.

When the call had been sent out that Ross was mobilizing the Hulkbusters to go to Los Angeles, Wild Bill had instantly realized that he was in for one very bad ride. The Hulkbusters had been idled ever since the Hulk had hooked up with the Avengers after the mess with the Leader, and Nick Fury had made it clear through subtle but effective means that he didn't want the Hulkbusters interfering with any of the Avengers, even if they happened to be big, green, and have a very short fuse. And while the pilot hadn't minded that in the least, he knew full well that Ross had been infuriated by it. Scuttlebutt said that when the General had learned that he was no longer being allowed to pursue the Hulk, he unleashed such a furious onslaught of ranting and raging and cursing that the entire base he had been at was deafened as a result. Something Wild Bill didn't doubt in the least.

But when Maria Hill had taken over SHIELD, with her definite prejudice to all superhumans in general and the Avengers in particular, Wild Bill had realized that it had been only a matter of time before Ross once again had them on the Great Hulk Hunt. Just as he had realized that their dealing with the Avengers in a populated area made for a far nastier situation.

Ross hadn't cared, of course. He didn't care about anything except bringing down his target at all costs. But Wild Bill had known right from the word go that they would be in a for a bad time on this mission. Though even he hadn't realized just how bad trying to deal with the Avengers would be until a massive wave of storm clouds and high winds somehow materialized out of nowhere. A situation made even worse when his navigational systems, the only thing that had been keeping him flying straight and safe in this meteorological mess, suddenly sparked and went dead on him.

_Of course, I know Ross would want us to keep bombing the city, even if we can't even see where we're shooting!_ Wild Bill thought irritably. _Just as well that Captain America's got him too tied up to yell!_ Giving a slight shake of his head, he frowned and wondered, _Honestly, why don't I just file for an honorable discharge and get out of this line of work?!_

But even as he wondered this, Wild Bill realized that he already knew the answer to this question. He was a longtime military men, and had been flying pretty much anything that Uncle Sam wanted him to pilot. It was his life, the only life he knew, and had stuck with the military, with protecting this country throughout his adult life. And as a result, he had been part of several military organizations throughout his career. Some teams had been good, and others, not so much. But no matter where he had gone, he had given the job his all, and had proven himself several times over.

Unfortunately, just when he had been working with the best team he had ever had the privilege of being a part of, not only had SHIELD gobbled up most of their resources and funding, but General Ross had come sniffing around for prospective members of his Hulkbusters, and had decided that Wild Bill would be a perfect fit for his team. And so, he had been forced to leave behind some of the best friends and teammates a military pilot could ask for, and was now flying to the orders to the biggest lunatic he had ever had the misfortune of working for. A situation made even worse by the fact that he felt less and less like he was protecting people, and was instead the instrument of one man's vendetta.

_It didn't seem too bad at first! Heck, I've seen what happens when the Hulk gets steamed up!_ Wild Bill thought, shuddering as he recalled seeing the aftermath of a gamma-powered rampage. Of entire cities reduced to ruins, of people sobbing and hopeless in the wake of losing their homes, their livelihoods, even loved ones. _But now...with all the Hulk's done since hooking up with the Avengers, and this mess with Ross...I'm starting to wonder which of them is the monster, and which is -!_

The sound and fury of an explosion shaking his craft to its core also shook Wild Bill out of his thoughts. "What the Sam Hill -?!" he spat out, only to quickly shift his gaze to the bomber's telemetry. When he saw the readouts, he scowled and began cursing beneath his breath. The gunship's right wing had just been blown. Not completely; the wing was still attached to the bomber, and they weren't in any immediate danger. But he had flown enough missions to know the kind of stress that a storm such as this put on an aircraft, and that there was no way they could stay aloft for much longer.

"Aw, heck! That does it!" Wild Bill declared vehemently as he continued to steer his craft out of the engagement zone. "Ross brought me onboard to deal with monsters, not Avengers! As soon as I get this bird down, I'm filing for a transfer out of this outfit! At this point, I'd rather fly a _desk _then have to work for Ross any longer!"

* * *

><p>"Hmm..." Thor mused thoughtfully as each of the Hulkbuster craft continued to fly towards the outer perimeter of the storm, all of them trailing smoke or demonstrating other signs of damage. "It would seem that your strategy was effective, Iron Man. Well played."<p>

"Hey, if there's one thing I know, Thor, it's tech. I can build it, and I can certainly break it." But then Iron Man turned to his Asgardian ally and added, "But we're not done up here yet. I got the bombers, but the Hulkbusters still have plenty of air support up here. And we need to deal with them before we can go after the Hulkbusters on the ground!"

"Then let us commence with the smiting!" Thor grinned, lighting dancing about Mjolnir as if in anticipation of the battle that was still to be fought.

For a moment, Iron Man wished that he could relish battling as his Asgardian companion and the Hulk did. But he couldn't stop thinking about the long road that lay ahead of them in this nightmare. There was just so much at stake; Jennifer's life, the lives of the people in the city, the reputation and the future of the Avengers. And even if they won this battle, he knew that they would still had Trask to deal with, and he was certain that Hill would not take what they had done lying down.

So it was with a low, almost resigned voice Iron Man responded in when he said, "Just be careful. We need to take these guys out without putting the people on the ground at risk." Then he looked down at the city below, where a madman lay in wait. A madmen who had flooded this city with weapons of mass destruction. "I just hope that Hawkeye and the others can hold up long enough for us to do our job!"

* * *

><p>"Ugh!" Hawkeye cried out as the Avengers' impromptu base of operations shook all around him. "I swear, if I was still working for SHIELD, I'd already be giving Hill a piece of my mind before quitting!"<p>

When Iron Man had sent Hulk, Wasp, and Ant-Man to defend one of the targeted factories just before leaving himself to meet up with Thor, Hawkeye had known he was in for a rough time even as he had allowed JARVIS to guide him to the controls for their defensive systems. For even though he had been in his share of bad scrapes since joining the Avengers, and even more when he had a member of SHIELD, this particular fiasco was basically everything he hated about his line of work, all rolled up in one humongous mess. And now, he was essentially on his own, protecting a helpless civilian who couldn't be moved from an army of lunatics that were armed to the teeth, and on top of that, it was a battle he knew he himself couldn't win.

He was far from unarmed, of course. Stark Industries may have stopped making weapons for sale, but that didn't mean that Iron Man had forgotten how to build them. And he had certainly done a fair job of making certain that this facility was well armed and equipped for repelling attackers. But even though some of the Hulkbusters had taken off after the Hulk and the others, there were a great many tanks, helicopters, and other such vehicles circling the impromptu embassy, relentlessly bombarding their shields with shells, energy blasts, and more. And unlike a mobile fortress like the helicarrier, all they could do was try and tough out the bombardment, and hope that they outlasted the enemy.

_Yeah, like that's gonna happen!_ Hawkeye muttered inwardly as he continued to work the controls, unleashing repulsor blasts and missiles upon the Hulkbusters. His eyes straying from the multiple targeting displays to the status readout for their systems. _We might have plenty of firepower, but the shields...!_

Wincing as he thought about what would happen when the shields finally did fail, Hawkeye did something really stupid. "Hey, JARVIS?!" he started, knowing that he shouldn't ask this question even if he did so. "Any idea how much longer until the shields go kaput?!"

"If the current rate of energy expenditure remains constant, shield collapse will occur in approximately five minutes," JARVIS obediently answered.

_That long, huh? Great,_ Hawkeye groaned inwardly. _Honestly, why do I ask questions I don't want the answers to?_

That last question was answered by another round of explosions shaking the new Wakandan mission, accompanied by flares of blinding light and thunder that would do Thor proud, dizzied, deafened, and blinded for a moment, Hawkeye closed his eyes and clenched his teeth just long enough to recover before glaring at the opposition confronting him. "Alright, Ross! You want in here?!" he growled, his fingers tightening about the control yokes for the complex's weapons. "Well, you're gonna have to knock a lot harder than _that!"_

With this declaration, Hawkeye unleashed another barrage upon the Hulkbusters. Missiles shot forth and repulsors burned through the air, lancing out until they found their targets. And as the archer watched, two helicopters were struck, and quickly fell from the sky, while five of the Hulkbuster standing tanks were knocked over, with one of them exploding.

But even as Hawkeye took in this minor victory and proceeded to fire upon more targets, additional forces moved in to take the place of the vehicles he had felled. All the while Hulkbuster troops crowded in closer to the shield perimeter, firing all the while as they prepared to invade.

_I don't believe this! Just how many Hulkbusters are there?!_ Hawkeye demanded as he continued to fire. _What, did Ross round up every troop he has in the country?!_

Reminding himself that, with Maria Hill supporting Ross, that this was a definite possibility, Hawkeye then groaned in disgust. It didn't matter how Ross had managed to conjure up such a force. What mattered was that he was outnumbered, outgunned, and unless his teammates managed to put an end to this madness soon, it wouldn't be long before the Wakandan mission suffered its first invasion from another country.

_At which point, it'll be more than my neck on the line!_ Hawkeye realized, knowing what had to be done. "JARVIS, get internal defenses ready for action. Close up and seal all of the blast doors. If any of Ross's thugs manage to get in here, we have to make sure they don't get anywhere near our guests."

"Understood. I'm already taking the necessary precautions," JARVIS assured him.

Giving a curt nod in response, Hawkeye then frowned. Dr. Ridge knew about the position they were in; he had known from the beginning that the Hulkbusters were after Jennifer, and Iron Man had warned him about Ross's intent to stomp every Stark building into the dust in order to get her. But at the same time, he couldn't know just how perilous the present situation was, and in all likelihood, would appreciate being informed that they were in very real danger of having some unwelcome guests.

_Besides, JARVIS mentioned Wasp wanting updates as to how Jennifer was doing. Couldn't hurt for me to check in on her,_ Hawkeye decided. And with that in mind, the archer ordered, "JARVIS, patch me into Dr. Ridge."

"Very well. Opening channel to the medical center," JARVIS responded as casually as ever.

Continuing to fire on the Hulkbusters, Hawkeye noticed the image of Dr. Ridge appear on a nearby monitor. The doctor had his back to the camera, and from what the ex-SHIELD agent could see, he was presently tending to his patient. "Hey, Doc!" Hawkeye started, taking a modicum of amusement from the way Ridge jumped and whirled about. "How's your patient doing? I hope the barbarians at our gates aren't disturbing her."

The way his face soured like it had been bathed in overripe lemons making it clear what he felt of Hawkeye's attempt at humor, Dr. Ridge was plainly considering a retort when another missile explosion shook the foundation. Looking about warily as the building shuddered beneath the continued bombardment, he then heaved a deep breath before returning his focus to the camera. "She's...as well as can be expected, under the circumstances." Then he again glanced about at his surroundings before muttering, "Though I doubt this constant shaking is doing her any good. I know it's not helping _my _nerves..."

Finding that quite understandable under the circumstances, Hawkeye muttered, "Yeah, well, just imagine all the fun I'm having up here." Taking note of a helicopter angling itself for a better firing position, the archer sent a few missiles in its direction. "Listen, I have to lock down all the doors. If these idiots manage to bust in, I don't want them having easy access to you or Jennifer. Got that?"

Nodding shakily, Dr. Ridge replied, "Yes, yes, of course." Then he turned his gaze towards the woman that lay upon the nearby medical bed. "We have to keep those...barbarians away from her."

"Yeah. Only _one _barbarian is allowed access to that lady," Hawkeye smirked as he blasted a couple of tanks. "So you just worry about Jennifer, Doc. I'll worry about the Hulkbusters."

Privately wishing that he had the Hulk to help him worry about the Hulkbusters, Hawkeye was about to have JARVIS close the channel so he could return his full attention to the problem at hand when a weak groan pricked his ears. Forcing himself to stifle the urge to look for the source of the sound, he nonetheless found himself glancing out of the corner of his eye. Just enough to see Dr. Ridge turning towards the source of the sound, a sound that was followed by a weak, feminine voice asking, "Hulk...busters...wha...?"

"Shh, shhhhh...!" Dr. Ridge quickly urged Jennifer, his voice taking on a completely different quality. Gone was the biting and negative attitude with which he tended to use with the Avengers. Instead, he sounded more like a father doting on his child. "It's alright. You're safe now. No one will hurt you. Just try and rest."

"Rest...no, no...can't rest...have to..." Jennifer groggily muttered, only for her wan voice to be drowned out when another explosion shook the building. Several seconds passed before the injured woman spoke again. "Wha...what's...happening...?"

"It's Ross. He's got the Hulkbusters knocking on our doors," Hawkeye reported, not willing to beat around the bush in this case. "Don't worry. We can hold them off."

Deciding that telling Jennifer that they would only be able to hold the Hulkbusters off for about four minutes wouldn't be such a great idea, Hawkeye instead focused on blasting as many of them as he could. "Ross...damn him...and his Hulkbust..." Then her eyes widened, and she groaned as she attempted to rise up from her bed. "Wait...Hulk...wh-where is he? Where -?"

"Hey, don't you worry about Jade Jaws. He's fine," Hawkeye promptly told her. As she dazedly turned her eyes in the direction of the camera, he gave her a cocky smile and added, "In fact, he and some of the others went to teach the Hulkbusters some manners."

Hawkeye didn't want to go into details, not when he already had so much to deal with. He didn't want to risk agitating Jennifer any more in her condition, and he honestly doubted she was lucid enough to really keep track of what was going on. But even as he was returning his full attention to taking out as many Hulkbusters out as he could before the shields died on him, a low, weak chuckle caught his attention. "Heh, heh...go get'em, cuz...!" Jennifer muttered, again lying back in her bed. Allowing Hawkeye a perfect look at the dangerous smile curling her lips as she added, "Hulk _smash...!"_

Dr. Ridge looked at Jennifer like he was struggling to keep his jaw from clattering to the floor in horror, and in a very real way, Hawkeye felt like he was doing the same. Even as the wounded woman sank back into unconscious, issuing a few final titters, a deadly dangerous smile that looked way too familiar to him graced her lips. "Oh, yeah," he muttered as he forced himself to look away and close the channel. "They're cousins, alright."

Giving a slight shudder, Hawkeye began firing again, only to hesitate when the monitor to his side flared to life once more. He was about to ask if Dr. Ridge had some other concerns when Wasp's voice sounded instead. "Hawkeye! Come in!" came the lone female Avenger, drawing a glance form the archer out of the corner of his eye. "Can you hear me?"

"Uh, yeah! Sure! Fine!" Hawkeye retorted as he launched another salvo of missiles and repulsor blasts at the Hulkbusters at their gates. "Listen, would you mind keeping this call short? I figure I've got about three minutes before our unwanted guests finish knocking down our doors and start raiding the fridge."

"It's that bad?!" Wasp bleated, her cute features twisting with surprise. Fortunately, the original party girl quickly recovered and gave a quick shake of her head. "Listen, Hawkeye! We just arrived at the factory, and the shields here are down! We'll take care of the Hulkbusters here and get back to you as fast as we can!"

"Sure, great!" Hawkeye grumbled, punctuating his sarcastic remark by blowing up a tank. "Be sure to bring some drinks and munchies! We don't want to be rotten hosts!" As a tiny smile quirked Wasp's lips, the archer then gave her an aside glance. "Oh, and...do me a favor? Check with Hank and make doubly sure that he managed to get all the gamma out of the blood Hulk gave Jennifer."

"Huh?" Wasp frowned quizzically. "Okay, but...why?"

Flashing back to that smile he had seen Jennifer sporting, Hawkeye returned, "Let's just say I have a feeling that this is one lady we _definitely _don't want going gamma..."

* * *

><p>Hank Pym had seen violence more times than he would ever want to think about. He had been on the receiving end of it growing up as a child, he had witnessed much of it as he matured to adulthood, and he had seen so much of it on the news, as well as traveling to various out-of-the-way locations in the pursuit of advancing science. He had seen many abuses of power, and to his horror, his own science twisted in the name of selfish gain and more violence.<p>

Every time he saw such horrors, Hank had asked the world, 'why?', for it was all so pointless. Bullies ruining lives just to pad their own egos, criminals killing for wads of paper and drugs that would eventually kill them, tyrants making untold numbers of lives unbearable, even ending them, all in the name of a few more scraps of power. Money-hungry egomaniacs further wars all to line their own pocketbooks, secretive, paranoid spy organizations focusing solely on their own hidden agendas, citing the 'greater good' as the reason for their destructive actions, the list went on and on. And the potential for humanity was ever the more wasted.

Not for the first time envying insects such as ants and their ability to work seamlessly for the greater good for the colony, Ant-Man guided the winged ant he rode in an arc so as to better survey the latest nightmare of violence the world had sent forth. The once pristine factory complex had been reduced to a warzone. The perimeter fence had long since been trampled by the battalion of Hulkbusters that presently surrounded the imperiled factory, and even worse, the defensive systems had recently fallen. The shields were gone, and smoldering craters marked the locations of whatever exterior defenses Stark had in place there. And as the various tanks and helicopters continued their bombardment, Hulkbuster troops were marching towards the factory proper. Armed and ready for further acts of violence.

"This is completely out of control!" Wasp moaned despondently as she flew closer. "Where did Ross find so many lunatics, anyway?!"

_I have no idea. There are times I think humanity as a whole is insane for acting this way,_ Ant-Man thought dismally. Then he frowned, for now was not the time for doubts. As much as he hated it, now was a time to act. Fortunately, the Hulkbusters seemed to be completely focused on their efforts to the exclusion of everything else, so that the Avengers had gone unnoticed. _So let's take a moment to plan things out before we make our move._

With this in mind, Ant-Man looked over at his companion, only to frown. "Wait - where's Hulk?"

"He got held up. We ran into a mob that was trying to get as far away from the Hulkbusters as possible, so he couldn't jump any further," Wasp hurriedly explained. "He should be here soon, though."

This made sense, Ant-Man quickly realized. The Hulk's preferred method of getting to one place to another was leaping, and he could move great distances at a very high speed this way. But at the same time, he couldn't change course in mid-leap, so in a heavily populated city such as Los Angeles, he had to be more careful in doing so. _And I don't even want to think about what would happen if he tried jumping around on the roofs! _he added, wincing at the image of Hulk coming down from a leap, only to come crashing down through the roof of a building, and the next dozen or so floors in the process. _Maybe we should build some kind of mini-jet for him, or -_

A massive impact shook Ant-Man from his thoughts, an impact that was followed by Wasp calling out, "Look! There he is now!"

Turning his eyes towards the source of the impact, Ant-Man confirmed that the Avengers' green goliath had arrived, having come down from a small leap. As he rose up to his full height and took in the sight of the many Hulkbusters before him, his perpetual scowl deepened and darkened, and he gritted his teeth in a display of menace. "Hulk, listen up!" Wasp began as the emerald behemoth approached. "We just got word from Hawkeye! The shields are collapsing at the factory! He's locking the place down, but we need to take these guys down, and fast!"

A spark of fearful concern appeared in the Hulk's eyes when he realized that his cousin was in even greater danger, but that fear quickly faded and was replaced by an even deeper rage. "Then let's do it."

"Right. Now here's the plan," Ant-Man began, trying to size up the situation, and figure out the best way to deal with it. "Hulk, you deal with the Hulkbusters on the outside. Wasp and I will -" A tremendous rushing of air sounded, and the size-shifter and his insect steed were sent tumbling. As the winged ant recovered, Ant-Man looked up and gasped as he saw the Hulk shooting upwards. "No, Hulk! We need a plan! We -!"

"Less talk! More _smash!"_ Hulk snarled in response as he reached the apex of his leap. As Ant-Man and Wasp looked he, angled himself so that he was looking down at the armed forces below, and with a savage roar, brought his hands together with all his savage strength. The force of the impact cracked the air, releasing a massive shockwave that billowed forth in all directions. The crushing wave of air first crashed into the nearby helicopters, shattering the glass canopies and wreaking other forms of havoc upon them, causing them to spin out of control, sparks flying from them. As the damaged aircraft spun about wildly, the shockwave reached the ground forces, crashing down upon them heavily. The standing tanks were knocked off their metal legs, and the Hulkbuster troops were driven to the ground. Many fell unconscious while the rest dropped their weapons so they could place their hands over where their ears were.

Even as the two size-shifters rode out the shockwave as well, Ant-Man looked on in a form of horrified astonishment. This was far from the first time he had seen the Hulk fighting, and he was certain it wouldn't be the last. But even when he had seen him fighting things such as the Kree Sentry or even against Kang's army, the pacifistic scientist had not seen Hulk lashing out in this way. He was less restrained, more angry...

_Of course, the Hulkbusters have hurt his cousin in the past,_ Ant-Man reminded himself. _Maybe not _these_ Hulkbusters, but still..._ The size-shifter's thoughts were cut off when the Hulk came down from his leap on top of one of the tanks. With a roar of pure rage. he grabbed the turret and effortlessly tore it off. Pausing to roar into the exposed cockpit, he then shifted his grip to the turret's muzzle, holding it like a club. Then he coiled his legs beneath him and launched himself towards another of the tanks. Even as the crew of the first tank hurriedly abandoned their ruined vehicle, the Hulk smash his improvised weapon into the second tank's side, almost crushing it completely. _And we have to stop these Hulkbusters before we can go help Jennifer...but still..._

"Wow," Wasp murmured as the Hulk leapt upwards and struck his makeshift club upon one of the helicopters. "Too bad gamma energy doesn't agree with me. I wouldn't mind..." As Ant-Man turned his eyes towards the woman that meant so much to him, she seemed to realize what she was saying and looked back at him. "Uh...I have an idea! I'll go with Hulk, get inside the factory, and save everyone in there! While you go big and beat up the Hulkbusters out here!"

"Huh?!" Ant-Man started, only for his jaw to drop when Wasp sped off towards the Hulk. "Hey, wait!" But his protest met with no avail. Wasp continued towards the Hulk, unnoticed by the Hulkbusters. Leaving the pacifistic scientist to sigh in dismay.

_Why, Janet? Why do you love this life so much?_ Ant-Man asked even as he dismounted the winged ant and leapt to the ground. _Do you really enjoy this madness? All this pointless fighting?_ Furrowing his brows as he thought of the woman that had done so much to further his scientific endeavors, he bitterly added, _There _has _to be a better way, Janet! Do you really love violence so much that you won't help me find it?_

Even as he thought this, however, Hank watched as a couple of the Hulkbuster helicopters and tanks recovered from the Hulk's shockwave, turning their deadly attention towards the man-beast that they had been created to destroy. And with great sorrow, reminded himself that there was no time to find a better way at that moment. If he was to protect innocent lives, then he would have to again sully his hands with violence.

_There has to be a better way..._ Ant-Man thought as he pressed the button on his regulator belt, triggering a surge of Pym Particles that was already transforming him into Giant Man. _There _has _to be..._

* * *

><p>"There <em>has <em>to be a way, Quartermain!" Maria Hill insisted as she studied the death spiral that was the situation in Los Angeles. "We _have _to put an end to this! _Now!"_

"We're _trying, _sir!" Quartermain protested as he and the other SHIELD agents worked. "But it's no good! The Hulkbusters use a secure, coded frequency! There's no way we can break through it! Not at this range!"

Snarling inwardly in frustration, Hill did her best to keep the fury she felt constrained. "Then we don't have any choice," she muttered foully. "Helm! Set course for Los Angeles! Full speed! We have to put an end to this mess! _Now!"_

The helmsmen did nothing to question her orders. Simply acknowledged her orders and set to work on making them reality. But even as she felt the massive helicarrier slowly changing course, Quartermain leveled a solemn look at her. "Director, you know as well as I do that it will take at least an hour for the helicarrier to get close enough to break into the Hulkbuster communications."

Hill knew this. Just as she knew that, by the time they actually were in range of Los Angeles, it would be far too late for them to do anything; whatever damage Ross and the Avengers could cause would long since have been done. "I'm aware of that, Quartermain," she grudgingly admitted. "But we don't have any choice. We can't just stand back and let the Hulkbusters and the Avengers tear an entire city apart." Giving this a moment to sink in, she then considered her next move. "Contact any SHIELD assets on the West Coast. Tell them to proceed to Los Angeles. Maybe one of them could get there faster than we can."

Quartermain looked like he was about to protest this order, but when Hill gave him a stern look, he instead sighed in defeat. "Understood, sir," he finally responded. Pausing just long enough in his work to give Hill a sour look.

Hill knew what that look meant. She knew that there were no SHIELD agents within proximity of Los Angeles. Certainly none that were close enough to get there in time to be of any use.

She knew this...because Hill herself was the one that had made certain of this.

It had made perfect sense before. Hill was using Ross's instability to push the Avengers into a corner, his obsession with the Hulk to force them to join SHIELD. But she had known right at the beginning that there was a potential danger in doing so. Ross had attacked the SHIELD team that had brought down the Hulk, so there had been a danger of his instability and recklessness causing problems. And while she had had a PR team ready to perform damage control, she knew that having SHIELD in close proximity to the Hulkbusters if they made a mess of things could only serve to damage SHIELD's image. So when she had put her plan in motion, she had headed off this problem...by removing SHIELD from the vicinity of the Hulkbusters.

_Damn you, Avengers! Hiding behind laws, playing these games of yours! _Hill growled inwardly, wishing as never before that the so-called heroes were in the Cage where they belonged. _And thanks to your schemes...you're our only chance of cleaning up this mess you've made!_

* * *

><p>A massive explosion shook the Stark complex to its very core, very nearly sending Hawkeye tumbling from his seat. Momentarily blinded and deafened by the blast and the way the various displays around him briefly broke up into static, Hawkeye gritted his teeth and tried to ride out the aftershocks. "Alert. The shields have failed," came JARVIS's voice over the colossal din. "I repeat; shields are non-responsive. Hulkbuster forces breaching the perimeter fence."<p>

"Yeah, thanks, JARVIS. I kinda figured that out for myself," Hawkeye grumbled, knowing full well that he officially gone from the frying pan to the fire. "JARVIS, take over weapons control! I'm going to the main entrance! I want to be ready to welcome our guests!"

"Very good, sir," JARVIS returned even as Hawkeye rose up from his seat. "I have assumed control over all weapons systems. Opening fire upon the Hulkbusters."

Hawkeye didn't bother responding, because he knew that JARVIS would not be able to keep the Hulkbusters at bay for very long. The AI was a fair aim, and a better shot than most automatic firing systems Hawkeye had seen. But JARVIS still wasn't as skilled as the archer, and more importantly, the shields were down, and their weapons were now exposed. Meaning that the Hulkbusters would be free and clear to dismantle the defensive systems, one-by-one. It wouldn't be long before their troops and vehicles would be able to break into the complex and tear it apart.

_On the bright side, Ross is now going to be in even deeper trouble for violating Wakandan territory,_ Hawkeye reminded him with a rueful smirk. _Not that that'll mean anything if they manage to get to Jennifer._

With this thought in mind, Hawkeye retrieved his bow from his quiver and expanded it. Running at full speed, he made his way towards the main entrance. There were many openings that the Hulkbusters could take advantage of, and he couldn't cover them all, but the main entrance was still the largest, and thus made the most attractive target for a military group hoping to get a large number of troops in quickly.

_Internal defenses should be enough to keep the smaller ways in and out of here safe and secure. At least for a while,_ Hawkeye thought as he moved through the impromptu mission, his Avengers ID Card allowing him past the blast doors between him and the main entrance. _But if the Hulkbusters can get their feet in the main door...!_

Scowling as his thought trailed off, Hawkeye accelerated. He wouldn't let that happen. No matter the situation, no matter what team he was on, he was still a hero, and there were people who needed him. And if there was even a chance he could help them, then he had to do so. No matter the risks.

_Though I have to admit...I wouldn't mind having a little extra help right now,_ Hawkeye was forced to admit as he sprinted down the last corridor to the main entrance. As was expected, it was sealed with a blast door, and several repulsor blasters and missile launchers were in evidence. "JARVIS," the archer began, drawing one of his trick arrows from his quiver, "What's the situation outside? How many Hulkbusters we got knocking on this door?"

"Twenty-seven Hulkbusters have amassed outside the main entrance," JARVIS reported. "I regret to inform you that most of the external defenses have already been destroyed, and that they are presently cutting their way in."

"Oh, great," Hawkeye muttered as he braced himself for the battle to come. "JARVIS, tell Stark or Thor or _anybody _that I...wouldn't exactly complain if somebody were to come give me a hand here. As in right now."

* * *

><p>Coby Grant couldn't imagine being more afraid then he was at that very instant.<p>

He already lived through some horrific and frightening things. The strange invasion by the golden saucers and robots, the sudden world-spanning blizzard and the ice monsters that came with it. But during those horrific events, he had been at home, in familiar, comforting surroundings. His parents, his family had been there to offer him comfort and reassurance that all would be well. Furthermore, the news had made it clear that SHIELD and Earth's mightiest heroes were fighting back. That there was still hope.

But as he sat on the ground, huddled together with his fellow students, hope seemed like little more than a cruel illusion.

The day had started out so innocently. Coby and his schoolmates were visiting a massive Stark factory, and he and all the others had been so excited. He doubted that they would actually get to see Tony Stark or any of his fantastic armors, but Stark was a legend, as was his technology. And besides, a field trip was certainly far more exciting than another day sitting behind a stifling desk at school.

As Coby stared into the barrel of the blaster being leveled at him and his schoolmates, that stifling desk felt very inviting. He had been wishing that he had been back behind it when the factory they were in had been shaken, when the sounds of explosions echoed through the complex.

What happened after that was a blur to him. Ms. Everhart, their teacher, had struggled to keep the suddenly frightened children from panicking while the tour guide had moved them to one of the factory break rooms. Some time afterwards, the sounds of battle outside increased sharply, the explosions intensifying, until at last the nightmare he had been plunged into reached crescendo, and armed and armored men began flooding the factory. Men in ugly, green armor that were spreading all over the place, shooting at virtually everything that moved without hesitation.

Men that had found their way into the break room where he and his fellow students now cowered in fear. Men that were aiming their weapons at them, demanding that they remain still while their leader questioned their teacher.

"...already told you, I _don't work here!"_ Ms. Everhart repeated herself, her voice a mix of fear and outrage. "I'm a teacher, da- darn it! These children are my students, and -!"

"I really couldn't care less _why _you're here, lady!" the leader of the armored men declared, shoving at Ms. Everhart with the barrel of his massive blaster. "You and these brats aren't going anywhere! We have full authorization to search this building, and that means that none of you are moving until we're done! And if any of you even _think _of getting in our way -!" He then paused to aim his monstrous rifle at the ceiling.

Then he pulled the trigger.

The room was filled with blinding fire and deafening explosions. Scared and overwhelmed, Coby screwed his eyes shut and placed his hands squarely over his ears, marginally aware that his fellow students were doing the same. He had never heard actual gunfire before, and it was nothing like what he had seen on TV. It was much louder, much brighter, and much, _much _more frightening.

The burst of gunfire ended as quickly as it had started, and in its wake came wails of fear and cries of despair as Coby and the others shrank back in terror. "Now then, if there's no more backtalk..." the apparent leader spoke in a slow, smug manner. "You all just stay right where you are. And if you're all good little boys and girls and stay out of our way, then we won't have to hurt you. Understood?"

Coby couldn't even move, but he was aware of several of his fellows giving shaky nods or noises of confirmation. "So glad we understand each other," the armored man stated. Then he turned towards one of his fellows. "Now, if we can just find Walters..."

"Yeah, I heard that!" the other armored man chimed in. "I was part of the team that went after here the last time the Hulk was in Los Angeles! When we tried questioning her, the damned bitch broke my nose!" Snorting in disgust, he added, "What I wouldn't give to put a bullet in her head! Right between the -!"

The wall exploded.

Already overwhelmed with fear, Coby cried out in sheer panic and curled into a ball as massive chunks of stone and shards of glass flew through the break room. The debris didn't touch him or his classmates, but the armored men were pelted. An instant later, a cloud of dust swept through the confined space.

And then...something else. Something _huge._

As Coby struggled to recover, to make sense of what was happening, an absolutely huge figure loomed through the ensuing dust. A baleful, brutish figure of a man, far larger than any human should be, his entire body seemingly comprised of muscles of coiled titanium, reached through the clouds and grabbed the two armored men that had been speaking. Snaring one of them by his gun hand and the other by his head, the creature that could only be the Hulk effortlessly raised them up into the air. "You want to put a bullet in somebody?!" he roared hatefully, watching as the two armored men squirmed helplessly in his grip, his brutish hands crushing their weapons and armor. "Then try _me!"_

Without another word, the Hulk viciously threw both the men out of what was left of the break room. Leaving Coby and the others to stare in horrified amazement as the green goliath went into action.

* * *

><p>"Hi-<em>yahh!"<em> Wasp cried out, flying into the seams of the armored neck of a Hulkbuster, her hands flaring with the bio-energy of her stingers. The combination proved brutally effective; the Hulkbuster crumpled over, crying out in pain. "Hah! Take _that!"_

"Hey, what happened?!" one Hulkbuster demanded, looking down at his fallen comrade in confusion.

"It's the Wasp!" another Hulkbuster declared, pointing in her general direction. "Shoot her!"

As one, the Hulkbusters raised their weapons and took deadly aim before unleashing a hailstorm of energy blasts at Wasp. A hailstorm that she giddily, easily evaded.

"Ha! Whoops! Missed me!" Wasp snarked as she bobbed and weaved between the energy blasts, sending a sting back at the Hulkbusters here and there, making sure to target the vulnerable spots in their armor for maximum effectiveness. "Ha! Missed again!"

As the Hulkbusters continued to fire, some of them issuing noises of frustration at their inability to land a hit, Wasp was sorely tempted to laugh at their aim. The truth was, they were probably decent shots against a normal opponent, but aside from Hawkeye, there simply weren't many people who trained themselves to hit a target the side of a bug. Making the Hulkbusters situation even worse was the way their weapons shook with the recoil of every shot fire. Again, this likely wasn't a serious issue against human-sized foes, but against Wasp, it effectively ruined any chance they had of hitting her, save for an incredible stroke of luck.

Her heart thundering in her chest, Wasp continued to dodge the Hulkbusters' best efforts, the urge to laugh growing stronger with each passing second. Despite the incredible danger and the deadly serious situation the Avengers were embroiled in, she simply felt so _alive._ She was doing something good, she was helping people, she was actively working to make a better place, and she was having fun while doing so. A far cry from taking meetings and getting grants for scientific projects that seemed to have no purpose other than to amuse Hank.

_If only Hank could understand..._ Wasp thought, her joy fading somewhat even as she continued to fight. _How does sitting around all day, studying bugs help anyone?! What good is having all these inventions when you don't use them to help anyone?! Why -?_

An energy blast whizzed by in front of her face, forcing her to screech to a mid-air halt. Recoiling as she realized just how close a call she had just had, Wasp acted on pure instinct and instantly shot up and then off in a different direction. _No! Stupid! Worry about knocking some sense into Hank some other time!_ the winged wonder mentally scolded herself, feeling embarrassed and not just a little annoyed for her own stupidity. Taking this ire and channeling it, she did a hairpin turn and fired a barrage of stings at the Hulkbusters below. _For now, just keep focused on beating up these jerks!_

Fortunately, it was clear that Wasp's teammates were also focusing on dealing with the Hulkbusters. Even as she fought on, she caught glimpses of Giant Man snatching helicopters out of the sky and tossing them even as he gave a tank the boot. Even as she snickered at the unbidden mental image of Hank hanging from the top of the Empire State Building, giving bi-planes a similar treatment, Wasp noticed Hulk roaring his displeasure at several Hulkbusters. This proving more than enough to convince them that invading the Stark factory and terrorizing children really wasn't in their best interests.

_It shouldn't take much longer to wrap things up here!_ Wasp thought as she downed another Hulkbuster. _Another minute, and -!_

"Attention, all Avengers," JARVIS's voice suddenly sounded in Wasp's headset. Frowning as she dispatched the last of the small group of Hulkbusters she had engaged, she paused and listened as the AI continued. "The shields and defense systems at the mission have been destroyed. Hulkbuster troops are presently cutting through the doors. By my calculations, we have approximately two minutes before they breach the interior. Hawkeye wishes for me to inform you that he would not object to receiving some assistance."

_Oh, crap! _Wasp groaned inwardly. _Did Hulk hear that?!_

Quickly glancing over to where she had last seen the Hulk, Wasp frowned in consideration, then decided that he probably hadn't. He was still rampaging, though that rampage had moved outside, and from what she could tell, he was presently taking his frustrations out on the Hulkbusters' engines of war. If he had heard that Jennifer was in even greater danger, Wasp had no doubt that he would have already vocalized his outrage.

_Still, Hawkeye, Jennifer, and that doctor are in trouble! Better do something!_ Wasp decided. Pausing to draw forth her Avengers ID Card, she opened a broad channel. "This is Wasp! I hear you, JARVIS, but we're still clearing things up here!" Pausing to consider matters for a moment, she then tried, "Tony! Thor! What about you two?! Any chance you can give Hawkeye a hand?!"

"Not yet, I'm afraid!" Iron Man hurriedly reported, his image appearing on the ID Card. "The situation's critical on my end! Hulkbusters have invaded one of my office complexes! Dozens of civilians injured! If I leave now, who knows what these creeps will do?!"

"My own situation is similar," Thor grimly reported. "Have these cur no honor?!"

"Offhand, I'm guessing...nope," Wasp grumbled. Heaving a deep breath, she considered the situation before saying, "Okay. We'll try and wrap things up here quickly."

Nodding, Iron Man then asked, "What about you, Wasp? Need any help?"

"Uh, no. Not really," Wasp reported, a familiar roar sounded as a tank was seen flying through the air. "The Hulkbusters decided to make the Hulk angry. They _really _didn't like him when he was angry."

Chuckling at this small bit of humor, Iron Man then quickly sobered. "We'll get this done as fast as possible, Wasp," he assured. "Besides, there's still Cap. I'm sure he's on top of things on his end."

* * *

><p>With a grunt of effort, Captain America put all of his enhanced muscle into a devastating kick that caught his target right in the midriff. The battered and beaten Hulkbuster crashing back into his fellows, tumbling out of the MCC, falling on top of a pile of similar Hulkbusters.<p>

Staring hard at the pile of defeated soldiers, Captain America didn't even bother to keep the venom out of his voice when he told them, "I strongly suggest that you _stay_ down." Then he went back into the Mobile Command Center proper, walking around the prone soldiers that remained within, and picked up one of them in particular. "And one more thing," he declared, carrying the unconscious form of General Ross to the door. Casting a contemptuous glare at the obsessed military man, he then dumped him unceremoniously out the door. "Take this with you."

That said, Captain America closed the door of the MCC and locked it. Pausing just long enough to make certain that nobody would be busting through any time soon, he then turned to face the rest of the personnel within. They weren't making any threatening moves; in fact, they looked more scared and confused than anything else, like young men still in basic training. They had taken their own share of bumps and bruises, accidentally injured during the Captain's battle with the Hulkbusters within the confines of the MCC.

_Collateral damage. It's unavoidable,_ Captain America thought regretfully. _Doesn't make it any more acceptable. _Pausing to scan the soldiers before him, he asked, "Are you alright?"

The personnel before him looked genuinely surprised at this inquiry, with some of them staring perplexedly at him, with others glancing amongst themselves. Eventually, one of them replied, "A...a bit beat up, sir, but...I'll be fine." Then he frowned and looked towards one of his fellows, who was being tended to by another. "But...Brent, he..."

Turning towards the indicated soldier, Captain America realized that he was looking at the young man who had responded to his peaceful entreaty from before. The one that General Ross had shot. Frowning as he looked at the man who was still clutching at his wounded shoulder, the Super Soldier made his way over to his side and opened up a pouch in his utility belt. "Here, soldier," he began, retrieving a first-aid kit and handing it to the soldier tending to the wounded man. "There's some clean clothes and disinfectant in here. get that shoulder cleaned up and covered."

Blinking a few times, the attending soldier then nodded before accepting the kit. "Uh...thank you...sir," added Brent, he gave a pained smile. "I..."

"No need to thank me, soldier. You just rest for now. We'll get you proper medical attention soon enough," Captain America assured him. "But right now, there's something I need to take care of."

With that in mind, Captain America turned and made his way towards the front of the MCC, pulling out his Avengers ID Card as he did so. "JARVIS, I've secured the MCC," he announced. "Now how do I patch my ID Card into the radio?"

"I'm uploading a holographic blueprint of the standard communications systems used by the Hulkbusters. It's based on Stark Industries technology," JARVIS returned even as a light image appeared from the ID Card. As Captain America once again thought about the old sci-fi serials he had watched in his youth, the AI continued. "Simply connect the interface wires of your ID Card to the indicated USB terminal, and I'll be able to route all Avengers communications through the Hulkbusters' systems."

Studying the instructions and deciding that they indeed looked simple enough, Captain America nodded as he made his way over to the indicated console. Moving with careful precision, he pulled off the end of his ID Card, exposing several wires. He then took one of the wires and plugged it into the port indicated by the hologram. "Okay, JARVIS, I've...plugged in," he began hesitantly. "Do you have access to the Hulkbusters' frequencies?"

"Indeed, sir," JARVIS confirmed, much to Captain America's relief.

"Then patch me through to Director Hill," Captain America ordered.

"Very good, sir," JARVIS obediently replied. "Director Hill is on the line now."

An instant later, Maria Hill's image appeared on the tiny screen of Captain America's ID Card. "So, Rogers," she muttered sourly, glared irately at the Super Soldier. "I see you managed to deal with Ross."

"I have," Captain America confirmed, unsurprised that Hill had been monitoring the situation. "Now it's time for you to deal with the Hulkbusters. And put an end to this."

The scowl creasing Hill's face deepened at this. "Just so you know, this doesn't change anything," she intoned in a deadly serious manner. "As soon as I deal with Ross...you Avengers are next."

"And we'll be waiting," Captain America returned. Knowing that there was still a long road ahead of them.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: First of all, I'd like to apologize for the massive delays in writing this chapter. Life has not been good to me for some time now, and roughly a month ago, my mother passed away. As I was taking care of her at the time, I was forced to find a new place to live. I only hope that this chapter satisfies everyone. So please, read and review. And hopefully you'll check out some of my other stories.<p>

For those of you interested in further details as to how my life has not been going well, feel free to check out my account at DeviantArt. I've been keeping a steady log in my journals. For now, I'll see about answering your comments.

gammawidow, I don't know about using those quotes. This story is very different from that episode of the Hulk cartoon. And I think calling Ross and Hill jerks is to understate the situation greatly.

dianna, sorry to take so long in updating. As I've already explained, life has not been good to me.

Sissy, I'm glad you liked the mention of Betty. Seeing how important a part of the lives of the Hulk, Bruce, and Ross, I felt it only appropriate that she be given mention.

Oriiginal Name, thanks, I've been doing my best to handle the Hulk, Bruce Banner, and their relationship and inner turmoil. Here's hoping I can keep it up. As for Hill, I think in her mind, the only mistake she feels she's made is giving Ross so much power and underestimating the Avengers. As you can see here, she's quick to blame them for everything. I'm glad you liked the way I handled Ross. The situation with Betty has always been a major component in my mind as to why he hates Banner and the Hulk.

gammaxmen, I'm not sure how many people know Black Panther's identity. In the second season episode, Tony Stark comments that, while everybody knows their names, he adds that they might not know T'Challa is the Black Panther. Furthermore, nobody recognizes the Black Panther as being the prince of Wakanda when they first encounter. Not Ant-Man, who's been working on Vibranium, or Iron Man, who attempted to negotiate with T'Chaka. That tells me that, even if T'Challa isn't trying to keep his identity a secret, it's far from common knowledge.

adlerj, thanks, I really worked hard on setting up those twists. I do agree that Hill has a shred of common sense. Too bad her skewed priorities and her need to control everything basically ruin her own intentions. And thanks, you just can't have the FF and Spider-Man without that kind of banter. And believe me, Sally's story isn't done growing just yet.

GreenScar1990, thank you for the kind words. I was pleased with how the scene with Spidey and the FF went. And I do hope this chapter lives up to expectations. And don't be surprised if the fighting isn't over yet.

TolkienGirl052, very high praise indeed. As for Hill and Ross...obsession can blind even the wisest. Which they most certainly are not.

acosta perez jose ramiro, I do my best to get the characters down right.

Linzerj, well, the Hulk just saved the children and Captain America gave Ross the business. Does that work? And I do think that Hill and Ross have always been their own worst enemies. Hill nearly doomed New York by focusing SHIELD's efforts on the Avengers, and Ross...well, I don't think I need to really say anything about him. Yeah, that scene with Spidey and the FF pissing off Hill pretty much wrote itself.

Rassilon001, I think Hill's already Hulk-level angry at this point. T'Challa does seem to enjoy being mysterious. And indeed, there is a great deal for the Avengers to deal with. And you can bet that Trask will take full advantage of the delays provided by SHIELD's interference. Their job is about to get that much harder. And I do my best to give everyone their time in the limelight.

Quathis, I'm just glad I was able to pull everything off in a convincing manner.

general zargon, General Ross has just been shown who's the boss in as painful a fashion as possible. He's going to remember this beating for a good, long while. As for Sally...I can't argue with you on that point.

BeastRage the Hunter, I'm quite certain Fury wouldn't have made this big of a mess out of the situation.

PhinalPhantasy, yeah, Cap's boast really was sweet. Of course, I couldn't have him go completely overboard on Ross, simply because he had more important things to deal with. And I really am sorry for all the delays.

Star Saber21, I did have fun with the Thing riling up Hill. It just seemed like the kind of thing he would do.


	9. The War Continues

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 9: The War Continues

As Nicolas Trask sat within the secure confines of his office, his eyes were effectively glued to his computer screen. Taking in every single detail of the internet newsfeed Jonny had alerted him to. A newsfeed that looked like an all-out war from a sci-fi movie he had once watched as a little kid.

All over the city of Los Angles, war was being waged between the Avengers and the Hulkbusters, both outside the various businesses owned by Stark Enterprises, and within the Mobile Command Center of the Hulkbusters. Through the eyes of many different cameras, Trask witnessed the superhuman might of the Avengers coming crashing down upon the US Military like the raw forces of nature. A metaphor that seemed especially apt as he witnessed the mighty Thor whirling his hammer about, conjuring up winds and jags of lightning that sent dozens of Hulbusters and their vehicles flying out of control. And while Trask could not hear the anguished cries of the instantly defeated soldiers, he could very easily imagine them.

And as he continued to watch this almost laughable mismatch that consisted of normal humans being unceremoniously crushed beneath the powers of gods, giants, titans, and monsters, Trask found himself considering the implications of such a confrontation. And seeing for the first time that day a glimmer of hope for the survival of both himself and his organization.

_SHIELD wants something from the Avengers,_ Trask realized as he continuously analyzed the information at hand, with this being the only conclusion he could reach, over and over again. _Ross said it himself; he had been given full authority by SHIELD to do whatever he had to in order to bring down the Hulk and Walters. And even if SHIELD wasn't expecting him to go this crazy, it's clear they must want something out of the Avengers _really _bad if they were willing to give Ross this much freedom..._

And the more Trask considered the situation, the more he saw whatever power struggle that was going down between the Avengers and SHIELD working out in his favor.

_I don't care how superhuman the Avengers are. When this mess is over, the first thing they're gonna wanna do is take a break to lick their wounds,_ Trask thought, his eyes narrowed dangerously. _And with this kind of mess, SHIELD's going to be in a major bind, trying to keep from looking like complete idiots._ Then the corner of his lip curled up dangerously as he added, _But even so, I'd be willing to bet _anything _that whoever's running the show at SHIELD isn't going to take this mess lying down. They're gonna want payback._

Which meant that the myriad battles Trask was witnessing, brutal and dramatic as it was, were actually only the opening volleys in what could very easily become a very messy war. A war that may well prove invaluable in distracting the Avengers in general and the Hulk in particular from seeking reprisal for what happened to the Hulk's cousin Jennifer.

_And since my backer hasn't called me back yet...this might be the only break I'm gonna get!_ Trask thought as he reached for the nearby telephone and dialed a number he had recently called earlier that very day.

Placing the receiver to his ear, Trask waited impatiently as the phone rang on the other end. Even as he was considering telling the phone to pick itself up, the sound of a reciever being lifted sounded, followed by a familiar voice saying, "Uh, Dr. Kurtz speaking..."

"Doctor," Trask began, giving the fact that it was him speaking a few moments to sink before continuing. "How goes the preparations on the Silver Serpent?"

"The, uh...preparations?" Dr. Kurtz nervously replied. "Well, the, uh - the reactor startup is proceeding - well, smoothly enough. But as I already warned you, this is the first time it will have been activated, and -"

"I already know that, Doctor," Trask retorted with an edge of impatience. "What I want to know is what happens after the reactor's up and running. How long it will it take to find out if everything's fully functional?"

A beat passed as the doctor began muttering beneath his breath. "Well...as I said, ideally I would like at least a week to check out all of the systems. Which I realize we don't have," Dr. Kurtz quickly added before Trask could remind him of this. "However...please understand that this is all highly advanced technology, and I still am not as familiar with it as I would like. So there's no way of being certain of how everything would work if we...were to take it into combat situations."

Despite the fact that he was not happy about this, Trask didn't dispute the doctor's words. He had too much of a healthy, fearful respect for the gangster for him to try and lie about something like this. And while he was as nervous as the proverbial long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, he was definitely all there when it came to his work. Trask wouldn't have bothered with his services if he were not. "What if we were to take Silver Serpent on a...shakedown run?"

"A...shakedown run?" Dr. Kurtz nervously replied.

"That's right. Put it through its paces, test out all of the...acquisitions we've installed. See how everything is working," Trask explained in a terse manner. "Would _that _be enough to iron out whatever bugs might be in the system?"

There was a pregnant silence on the other end of the line, one that was interrupted only by tiny mutterings of thought from Dr. Kurtz. "Uh...yes...yes, it would...probably," he finally, hesitantly admitted. "Please understand, sir, that what you're proposing is no substitute for a proper and thorough series of diagnostic evaluations. I would not be able to guarantee that we would be successfully find and address every single problem the Silver Serpent's systems might have." A beat passed as the doctor gave a weary sigh before admitting, "However...given that you've made it clear that...time is now our enemy...I suppose such a thing would be...better than nothing."

"Then as soon as you have the reactor up and running, prepare the Silver Serpent and its crew for a shakedown," Trask instructed the scientist, his tone making it clear just how much he meant business. For while he had no doubt that, while the mess with SHIELD and the Hulkbusters would buy him some time, he was nowhere near deluded enough to think that it would keep the Avengers off of his back forever. "We may have gotten a break, and we better make use of it...before everything goes right to hell."

* * *

><p><em>"Get the hell off of my property!"<em> Iron Man furiously demanded as he shot though the office complex that was one of the many smaller businesses owned by Stark Industries. An office complex that had been infested with trigger-happy Hulkbusters carrying guns that had been made using his own technology, and had recently been put to use...on some of his own employees.

At that very moment, two of the Hulkbusters were writhing helplessly, struggling in vain to dislodge Iron Man's steely grip about their armored necks as he flew towards a cluster of their fellows. Letting loose a cry of outrage, the armored Avengers sent the two goons flying into the crowd of Hulkbusters, sending them sprawling down the hallway.

Not satisfied with the pained groans and grunts the Hulkbusters gave voice to, Iron Man charged up his repulsors. "Didn't you hear me?!" he demanded, holding out his palms to the people that had invaded this place and had gone so far to bring so much misery to the people there. "I said _get out!"_

A familiar whine was heard an instant before twin beams of destruction leapt forth from Iron Man's palms, smashing into the crumpled Hulkbusters without mercy, sending several of them flying into the wall at the end of the hall...and then right _through it._

Hearing the cries of pain and fear from the Hulkbusters and knowing that their armor would absorb the worst of both the repulsor blasts and the fall, Iron Man turned his attention from the freshly made hole in the wall to the armored goons that remained on the floor. "Alright, you have a choice," he muttered ominously, holding up his palms and giving them a good look at the glow that was coming from his repulsors. "You either jump, or you get to go another round against me. So what's it gonna be?"

A couple of the Hulkbusters, clearly having had enough, made the wise decision to get up, run for the hole their fellows had made with Iron Man's assistance, and leapt out of the building. But the rest of them, obviously the dumber ones, simply picked themselves and their weapons back up and took aim at the billionaire superhero.

_Bad choice,_ Iron Man thought irately, long since past being angered by the Hulkbusters. Without so much as a thought, he delivering a series of well-placed repulsor blasts to each of the remaining Hulkbusters in rapid succession even as their own feeble blasts bounced off his shields without effect.

Feeling no satisfaction as the last Hulkbuster crumpled over in a heap, Iron Man glared at his armored foes, and more importantly, at their weapons and the readouts JARVIS was providing in regards to them. Readouts that clearly displayed that each and every one of the energy-based rifles being employed in this invasion of Los Angeles and this attack upon his team and his employees were all derived from Stark Industries technology.

Once more, Tony Stark felt a rush of cold, deadly fury at the knowledge that the fruits of his own labors were being employed in the destruction of lives and the furthering of selfish greed. That the weapons and technology he had witnessed not long ago being used against innocent civilians were based upon his work. That it was essentially his technology that had been used to blast several of his own employees, very nearly killing two of them before his very eyes.

_Mine...blast it all! How many more times is this gonna happen?!_ fumed the man beneath the Iron Man armor. For while this was not the first time he had been in this position, and he was unfortunately certain that it was far from the last, this was quite likely the closest to home the reality that his inventions were so often the cause of pain and misery had come.

For a long time, Tony Stark had been every bit the devil-may-care playboy genius the press made him out to be. He had been aware that he was at times referred to as the merchant of death and hadn't cared in the slightest. After all, weapons didn't kill people, people killed people. Any idiot knew that much. And he had only sold his weapons to people like SHIELD, the US military, organizations that anyone with a brain in their head would recognize as being 'the good guys'. And in the haze of naiveté, he had been perfectly content to continuously invent even bigger and more dangerous instruments of destruction, had felt no shame in bringing in his pacifistic fellow scientist Hank Pym or trying to get his hands on Vibranium to further his works, and generally had been happily living off the millions upon millions of dollars people were so willing to pay for the latest weapon to be produced by the hardworking men and women of Stark Industries.

An ill-fated trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate the latest of his missiles had been when Tony had finally grown up and realized just how much damage his uncaring ways had done to the world. And it had taken a horde of shrapnel from one of his own Rocket-Propelled Grenades getting lodged in his chest to make him realize that weapons didn't always hit the right people. And it had only been when he had seen terrorists sitting on veritable mountains of the weapons he had built and had been so confident that were keeping the world safe when he had realized the terrible truth. That while weapons themselves did not kill people, they still only had that one purpose; to enable people to kill other people that much more easily. And while the weapons themselves might not care about who handled them or who they killed, as the person whose hand had brought so many weapons into this world, he _had_ to care. Simply because so many other people did not.

_I was so blind..._ Tony Stark couldn't help but think as he recalled the aftermath of that disastrous trip, of the sacrifice made by Yinsen that allowed him to escape. Of his subsequent decision to stop building weapons and the massive protests lodged by the board of directors in general and Obadiah Stane in particular. Of the absolute horror he had felt when he had learned that Obadiah had been happily dealing under the table, selling Starks weapons to terrorists and whoever else would meet his price. And how the rest of the board continued to grumble and complain about how much less money they made these days as a result of his decision to stop fueling the engines of war. _Just like the rest of them...all I ever saw was dollar signs floating down around me, when it was really raining blood..._

The board of directors, they didn't care. They had their own agenda, and that agenda was more money. The same thing with the US military, SHIELD, AIM, Hydra, and all of the rest of them. They all had their agendas, and in some cases, those agendas could be all well and good on paper. But all it took was being irresponsible with the power being granted by those weapons, and the result was tragedy.

_As a certain kid in red and blue tights once told me, 'with great power comes great responsibility',_ Iron Man thought to himself with a sour frown. _And if SHIELD and the rest of them aren't going to use what I make responsibly...then I can't let them have it._

Pausing to think of how Alfred Nobel must have felt when the dynamite he had invented had become a plaything of the military, or Albert Einstein and what must have been going through his mind when his equations had paved the way for the atomic bomb, Iron Man then returned to the moment and asked, "Talk to me, JARVIS. Have I gotten all the Hulkbusters in here?"

"You've neutralized the Hulkbusters inside the complex, sir," JARVIS quickly assured him. "However, there are still several more outside, surrounding the building."

Furrowing his brows, Iron Man growled, "Fine. They want more, they've got -!"

"Wait, sir!" JARVIS hurriedly declared, prompting the armored Avenger to pause for a moment. "Captain America has succeeded in patching his Avengers ID Card into the Hulkbuster communications system."

His eyes widening at this, Iron Man considered this information for a moment before a tiny smile curled his lips. "Does Director Hill know about this?"

"Indeed. I just informed her," JARVIS assured his inventor.

"Then please, patch me in on her little announcement, JARVIS," Iron Man requested, wanting to see this for himself. "I've always wanted to watch Hill eating crow."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied. A moment later, a communications window appeared on Iron Man's HUD, revealing Maria Hill's _very _unhappy face.

"Attention all Hulkbuster units," Maria slowly began, clearly struggling to avoid choking on her own words. While Iron Man was trying very hard not to break out in a case of the giggles at the look on her face, the vindictive woman went on to say, "This is Director Maria Hill of SHIELD with a Priority Ten Declaration. I am hereby overriding General Ross's command, and am ordering all Hulkbuster forces to stand down _immediately!_ I repeat, you are ordered to _stand down."_

_Wow, it must've _really_ hurt for you to have to say that,_ Iron Man thought, smirking evilly at Maria's image as she went on to mention the severe consequences that would befall any and all Hulkbusters that didn't fall in line with her orders. _Still, I better make sure that the 'Busters actually bother listening to you before I start celebrating..._

With this in mind, Iron Man made his way past the pummeled Hulkbusters that were lying strewn across the floor, resisting the urge to kick any of them in the sides as he did so, and went up to the hole in the wall he had blasted several of their number through. Looking down at the ground below, he saw several Hulkbusters and their vehicles which he had trashed on the way in, as well as even more Hulkbusters sitting on the ground, receiving treatment from their fellows. But no matter where he looked, Iron Man saw no more raised weapons, heard no more energy blasts, detected no evidence of further conflict.

"You are hereby ordered to retreat from Los Angles immediately," Iron Man heard Hill continuing, sounding more and more angered by having to give such orders by the moment. "You will receive further orders once you are clear of the city."

As Hill's image disappeared from his HUD, Iron Man frowned slightly. "JARVIS, patch me into Hill, will you?"

"As you wish, sir," JARVIS returned. "Opening channel to SHIELD helicarrier now."

Several seconds passed as Iron Man stood there, watching the Hulkbusters pick themselves up, pack up their marbles, and get ready to take themselves anyplace but Los Angeles, imagining the look of aggravation Hill was sure to be wearing as soon as she learned that he was calling. And it was an image that didn't even come close to the expression being worn by the real Maria Hill when her face appeared on Iron Man's HUD. "Stark," she spat like it was something poisonous. "So, are you calling to gloat?"

"Why, Director Hill, I'm wounded that you think I would do anything of the sort!" Stark snarked with the kind of gusto that it seemed only he was capable of mustering in these situations. "I'm just calling to thank you for being so prompt in getting Ross and his goons off of my property and away from anyone else." A beat passed before he dropped the smirk and the snark and scowled. "I also wanted to mention that I have a bunch of innocent civilians injured here and probably at a lot of other places I happen to own. And while I'm already arranging for them to get to the nearest hospital, I want to make sure that the Hulkbusters don't forget to pick up the garbage that I and the rest of the gang have just been reminding of their right to remain unconscious."

Though it seemed impossible, Hill's expression soured several times over. "You don't have to worry about that, Stark," she muttered in a deadly tone. She proceeded to glare pure poison at him for a time before declaring, "This isn't over, you know. As far as I'm concerned, all you Avengers have done is prove why it is vital that you be put under SHIELD's control...or locked in a cage."

Whatever traces of amusement he had felt dropped away as Iron Man matched Hill's scowl with his own. "You're welcome to try...Director," he informed her. "But for now...I have to get to work on cleaning up your mess. Iron Man out."

Cutting the signal to the helicarrier, Stark heaved a deep breath. _She's just as blind as I used to be,_ he couldn't help but think, recalling the complete fool that had once lavished in the wealth his tools of death had sent flowing into his coffers. Utterly blind to the way his actions and inactions alike had caused so much misery around him. _And it's obvious that it's gonna take more than a chest full of shrapnel to make her wake up and smell what she's shoveling out._

Which meant that Iron Man would have to be even more blind than Hill was to believe for a second that she was done causing trouble. Fortunately enough...he and the others had already planned for that.

"JARVIS, contact Panther," Iron Man instructed his faithful AI. "It's time to proceed with the next stage of what I'm sure Hill would call our evil master plan."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS returned even as Stark managed a smile once more. Already envisioning the look on Hill's face when she saw what the Avengers were about to spring on her...

* * *

><p>"You have the right to remain smashed," Wasp taunted several unconscious Hulkbusters as their fellows carried, dragged, and otherwise removed their mangy butts from the factory that they had so merrily shot to blazes. "Anything you say...probably won't be much."<p>

"Very funny, Jan," Ant-Man muttered as he surveyed the situation with the air of someone who wanted to be anywhere but where he was now. Though given his pacifistic nature, Wasp supposed she couldn't be surprised.

To call the factory and the surrounding area a mess would be unfairly generous to say the very least. The Hulkbusters had done a great deal of damage on the way in, ripping open the factory and trampling enough vehicles and so on that it was obvious that a lot of people would be walking to work for the foreseeable future. A situation that had been made that much worse by the subsequent battle between the Avengers and the Hulkbusters. Bits and pieces of military vehicles lay strewn all over the place, the surrounding buildings had taken their share of damage in the heat of the battle, and the shattered wrecks of Hulkbuster helicopters and standing tanks lay burning everywhere the eye could see.

_It's like right out of a warzone,_ Wasp couldn't help but think. And in a very real way, that's exactly what this was; a warzone in a cold war between the Avengers and SHIELD that was suddenly heating up. And as she thought this, the winsome superheroine glanced over towards the badly damaged factory, where the children that had come here as part of a school field trip, looking forward to being able to do something other than sitting around in a classroom, listening to their teacher drone on and on about whatever boring subject. And now had looks of fearful horror and awe marking their tiny faces. Each and every one of them doubtlessly realizing just how close they had come to utter and complete disaster.

_It's times like this why I understand why Hank wants to avoid fighting so much,_ Wasp decided, glancing over at the pacifistic scientist for whom she had such strong feelings for, the man she wanted so badly to put down his microscope for a little while to notice her. But even as she thought this, she frowned, for while this was a tragedy, there had been no real way of avoiding it. Only by giving into the demands of the tyrants that Ross and Hill were could they have prevented this from happening entirely, and that was clearly not an option. Ross was plainly a lunatic for doing what he had done, and after seeing how far Hill was willing to go to put the Avengers under her thumb, focusing SHIELD's efforts on forcing them to join that organization when Hydra and AIM were tearing New York apart, she knew that letting someone like that have their way was not an option.

_Besides, we _tried _talking to Hill, and she wouldn't listen! All she cared about was getting what she wanted!_ Wasp thought with a scowl. _Talking doesn't always work! I tried it with Kang when I found out about Princess Ravonna dying, and he refused to back down from his trying to conquer this time! And when the bad guys decide they don't want to talk, then you got no choice but to fight back! And as bad as that might be, it's better than letting them do whatever they want!_

Even as Wasp was thinking this, a familiar beeping sounded in her ear. Starting at this, she then reached into her left glove and retrieved her Avengers ID Card from it, flashing blue arrows scrolling across it as it continued to beep. Accepting the incoming call, Wasp was greeted with Iron Man's armored visage. "Listen up, everyone," he began in a serious manner. "Cap managed to break into the Hulkbuster communications, and Hill has ordered the Hulkbusters to stand down."

"Yeah. We kinda figured that out ourselves when they stopped shooting at us and told us that they'd gotten new orders," Wasp returned with a wry smirk, glancing the green-clad soldiers as they continued to remove their insensate fellows from the former battlefield.

"Oh, good. I wasn't sure that they'd all decided to stop being idiots," Iron Man replied with a sense of clear relief. "What about you, Thor? How are things on your end?"

"My situation is similar. These Hulkbusters are presently withdrawing and retrieving their wounded," Thor's voice was heard responding. A beat passed before he added, "Though in all honesty, I would have liked to have had more time to show them what I think of their dishonorable ways."

"You and me both," Hulk muttered from where he stood, scowling disdainfully as another Hulkbuster was carried out of the factory.

"What about the others?" Ant-Man wondered, looking down at his ID Card in concern. "Cap? Hawkeye?"

"The situation is under control here," came Captain America's voice from Hank's ID Card. "However, we have a soldier here who was shot by Ross. The bullet passed through cleanly, and we were able to stop the bleeding, but he requires proper medical attention."

"Right. JARVIS, have an ambulance sent to Cap's location ASAP," Iron Man instructed.

"I'm fine, too, if anybody cares," Hawkeye remarked in his typical snarky manner. "The Hulkbusters are taking a powder, but we're...kinda missing a few doors here now. As for Jennifer...well, she's slipping in and out of unconsciousness, but the doctor says she's okay. Or as okay as can be, all things considered."

"And she's going to _stay _that way," Hulk growled beneath his breath, putting away his card even as he started forward. "I'm heading back to the factory. Make sure that nobody tries anything."

"Hulk, no! I need you to stay there!" Iron Man protested over Wasp's ID Card. The green goliath paused in mid-step, shooting a look so poisonous that the winsome Avenger half-expected the tiny piece of technology to melt into a puddle of gore. "Look, Cap and Hawkeye have the mission covered. And besides, I need you ready for the next part of the plan!"

His eyes narrowing dangerously, Hulk shot back with, "The next part of the plan doesn't mean I have to stand around, waiting for you to get your shiny metal butt here! Besides, Jennifer, she -!"

"Hawkeye just said that she's fine, and with the Hulkbusters withdrawing, she'll be safe for the time being," Iron Man broke in before the jade giant could get going. "But we still need to make sure that Hill can't pull a fast one and pin this mess on us. And for that to happen, I need you ready and waiting for me to pick you up."

Hulk didn't say anything to this. He just stood there, looking like he wanted to smash something so badly he could taste it, low growls escaping his clenched teeth. And in all honesty, Wasp couldn't blame him for being outraged, not after everything that had been happening, and especially not with someone who he clearly cared for so deeply so gravely injured and whose future hung in the balance. But at the same time, she knew that Iron Man was right; they had to proceed with the next stage of the plan as soon as possible. She had seen enough action with the Avengers and dealt with more jerks in trying to get grants for Hank and more to know that people would not be happy about what happened in Los Angeles. And while she couldn't blame anyone for being upset about Ross and the Hulkbusters trampling everything in sight and very nearly killing a bunch of people, she knew that people would want someone to hold accountable for starting this mess. They would want someone they could put the blame on.

_And we just know that Hill is gonna try and put said blame on us for not 'cooperating' with her and SHIELD!_ Wasp grimaced, thinking of just how easily someone with a silver tongue could spin doctor this mess into being the Avengers' fault. _And we need Hulk to be ready to help us counter that!_ But even as she reminded herself of this reality, she looked somberly at the green goliath. And reminded herself that for all his incredible strength and power, he was completely and utterly helpless to do anything to help Jennifer directly. He was angry, as usual, but he was also frustrated, and most likely more than a little fearful for her safety. And so he wanted to do whatever he could for her.

He wanted to be at his cousin's side.

Recalling the time that Hank had been gravely injured, partly as a result of her jealousy and frustration over his apparent unwillingness to do anything that didn't involve science, Wasp frowned sadly. "Hulk..." she began, taking it slowly. Making sure to pick her words carefully, lest she give voice to the wrong words, something she knew she had a penchant for doing. "I've already asked JARVIS to keep me updated on Jennifer's condition. And...and as soon as the Hulkbusters have cleared out of here, I _promise _I'll go right back to the mission and keep an eye on her for you, okay?"

Hulk's eyes flickered towards Wasp, myriad shades of rage and other emotions flowing mercurially behind them. His body quaked with unspent anger, and it looked like he was about to give expression to that rage. But instead of doing so, he looked off to the side, seeming to be gazing into mid-air. And as he did so, she realized that the aspect of the green goliath that was Bruce Banner was most likely speaking to him. Advising him.

Wondering not for the first time what it must be like, two minds in the same body, to be a being so fractured and tormented, Wasp was about to speak again when the Hulk finally snorted loudly. "Fine..." he growled beneath his breath before he sat himself down on the ground, an expression that was too angry to be called a pout marking his face.

Not sure what to say and soon deciding that perhaps now was not the best time for words, Wasp simply nodded. She was considering what to do next, only to start when she felt something tugging at her arm. Letting out a noise of surprise, the winged adventuress looked down, and saw a couple of the children from the field trip standing next to her, with a boy clinging to her forearm. "Excuse me, Miss Wasp," the boy began, an expression of concern on his face as he glanced between her and the scowling gamma mutant, "but...is something wrong with Mr. Hulk? He looks mad about something."

"Well, of _course _he looks mad about something!" declared a nearby girl, her hands on her hips in an authoritative manner. "He's the _Hulk, _dummy! As in the big, dumb, rage monster that's always smashing stuff!"

Stung by this thoughtless remark, Wasp was about to protest when another boy countered, "No way! Hulk saved us from those creeps! He's a _hero!"_

"That so-called _hero _is a wanted fugitive from the U.S. Military! _He's _the reason the Hulkbusters were here in the first place!" the snooty girl declared in an officious manner. "What does that tell you?"

Glancing up at the Hulk, wondering if he could hear what the children were saying, Wasp looked about for any sign of the teach who was supposed to be shepherding these children. When she didn't see any non-costumed or armored adult, she was about to speak when another girl said, "But the Hulkbusters almost shot Ms. Everhart! That makes _them _the bad guys, right?"

"It sure does!" the second boy emphatically declared.

"Hmph!" the snooty girl snorted. "It still doesn't change the fact that that monster is the -!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Wasp broke in. This had already been an incredibly bad day for everyone involved, and she knew that there was a lot more work to be done before this mess would be settled. And while a lot had been going their way despite everything, a lot had also gone wrong, a lot of destruction that could have been prevented had taken place. And after all the reading she had done into the tragic history of both the Hulk and Bruce Banner, after seeing the suffering they had gone through in both their faces and hearing it in their words, the last thing she was in the mood for was another uptight idiot like Hill who though she knew better than everyone badmouthing a good friend and a true hero. "First of all, little girl, you are going to stop calling the Hulk a monster! Like your friend here said, he's a hero!"

"He's not my friend!" the snooty girl immediately protested. "And that big green fre-!"

"Just helped save your ungrateful little butt!" Wasp broke in before the little brat could get out that last derogatory word. "And you want to know why Hulk's so upset?! Huh? Do you?!"

"Uh, Jan?" Ant-Man broke in, prompting her to look up and see a look of concern marking his features. "I'm not so sure that we should be discussing -"

"They're bound to find out about it, sooner or later!" Wasp immediately countered.

"Find out about what?" one of the boys wondered, looking at the winsome Wasp with eyes of undisguised curiosity. "Did something happen to the Hulk?"

Pausing for a moment, reminding herself that what had happened with Jennifer had already been on the news and that the kids would be finding out about it soon enough, and looking once more at the snooty little brat that had so eagerly condemned her friend and teammate, displaying an attitude all too reminiscent of Hill's, Wasp felt her determination to defend the Hulk and wipe that smug look off of that brat's face double. "Some very bad people hurt Hulk's cousin, so he had to give her a transfusion to save her life," she informed them in a low voice. "So the Hulkbusters decided so show up and try and take her away and -"

"Jan!" Ant-Man broke in again, punctuating his declaration by placing his hand upon her shoulder. "I really don't think you should be talking about this sort of thing. Not here and now."

Looking at the man with whom her relationship was rocky even under the best of circumstances, Wasp felt torn. On the one hand, she understood his reasoning. She was arguing with a little kid who she couldn't even say had the brain capacity of a gnat without insulting gnats, and was discussing sensitive information in front of her tormented teammate. And she knew that, if she were in his place, she would not exactly be overly thrilled by such a discussion. But at the same time, she had seen all too easily it was for some people to dismiss the Hulk as a monster. She had seen the absolute terror so many people experienced just from seeing him do something as innocuous as walking down the street. And having to deal with yet another small-minded bigot who was so perfectly content to condemn him in that way...

"I know, Hank," Wasp admitted, caught between guilt for speaking of such manners and the need to protect her friend and teammate. "But I can't just -!"

"And where are you dummies going?!" demanded the painfully familiar voice of the snooty girl. Looking about, Wasp saw that she was looking away, and that the other girl and the two boys that had been there moments ago had suddenly disappeared. Following the gaze of the snooty girl, the winged Avenger's eyes widened somewhat when she saw the three other children making their way over towards where the Hulk sat.

"Uh-oh..." Ant-Man groaned heavily. Without another word, he wrapped his arms around the snooty girl, who let out a quick noise of surprised annoyance, before saying, "I'll go find their teacher. You, uh...Jan, you're on Hulk duty, okay?"

Before Wasp could say anything in response, Ant-Man started away from her. Returning her focus to the three children making their way over towards over half a ton of gamma-powered muscle with breathtaking anger management issues, she frowned, unsure of what to do. On the one hand, she didn't believe for a second that the Hulk would intentionally hurt any of the kids, even if they were as obnoxiously bratty as the one that had been. But at the same time, she knew the Hulk was under a lot of pressure with everything that was happening, and a lot angrier as a result. If pushed too far, that anger could come out in an unexpected form. Even if he didn't mean to hurt the kids, all it would take was him driving his fist into the ground or some other expression of rage to either scare them out of their minds or hurt them by knocking them down or something on that order.

_And the last thing the big green needs is even _more_ bad press!_ Wasp thought, gingerly making her way closer to the Hulk and the children. Ready to intervene if things started to look bad.

"Excuse me...Mr. Hulk?" started the boy who had first spoken to Wasp.

As the massive gamma mutant glanced towards the children, he seemed to consider them for a moment before replying, "Uh...don't call me 'mister'. Just Hulk."

"Oh," the boy replied, seeming to be a bit surprised. "Um...okay...Hulk." An awkward moment fell upon them, a moment that seemed to stretch out into an eternity as the three children glanced about at each other, as if silently asking each other what they should do, before the boy again looked at the green goliath and said, "Listen, uh...Ms. Wasp told us about...your cousin, and...we just...wanted to say that...we're sorry about what happened."

A beat paused as the Hulk again considered them, glancing off to the side. Again, Wasp felt as if she could almost see the aspect of him that was Banner advising him on what to say and do, just before the jade giant replied, "You...don't...it's not like you had anything to do with it..."

"But...we're still sorry that...you know...it happened," the second boy explained even as the other two children nodded emphatically.

Again, the Hulk paused, his extreme difficulty in dealing with people showing as he considered his next words. But before he could say anything, the girl of the trio doffed her backpack and began rummaging about inside of it. "Uh..." Hulk frowned, clearly uncertain as to what the girl was up to. "Whatcha looking for?"

"Hmm...here it is!" the girl declared at last, fishing something out of her backpack. As both Hulk and Wasp looked on, the girl opened her hand to the gamma mutant, revealing what looked like a candy shaped like a flower wrapped in gold- and crimson-colored foil. "Whenever I have a bad day or I'm feeling scared about something, my mommy always gives me one of these." As the Hulk looked down at the little girl and her tiny offering, her kindly smile faltered somewhat. "I mean...I know you're big and everything, and...well, I just...I thought that...you could..."

As the little girl's words slowly fell flat in her mouth, her eyes began to fall as well. But even as she slowly lowered both her face and her offering, something happened that took Wasp by surprise. The Hulk, moving slowly and gingerly to avoid startling anyone, raised his hand and extended one of his massive fingers towards the girl.

As for Wasp, she ultimately just stood there, watching nervously as Hulk began to gently stroke the little girl's hair. The tiniest, tiniest of smiles playing upon the green goliath's face as he did so.

Several seconds passed, slowly dissolving the tension as Wasp and everyone else looked on in astonishment as the little girl the Hulk was affectionately stroking smiled and giggled, leading to the winged adventuress heaving a sigh and giving herself a mental slap in the face. _What am I so worried about?_ she queried herself even as she continued to watch this heartwarming scene transpire. _Yeah, the Hulk's got a lot on his plate, but he's still a hero at heart! Mad or not, he wouldn't lose it when there a bunch of little kids around!_

Giving herself a few more mental slaps for good measure, Wasp continued to look on, smiling at this touching scene. Right up until one of the boys looked at the rest of the children and called out, "Look, everyone! He's friendly!"

As these words sounded, the children began looking amongst themselves, then back at Hulk. Leaving Wasp to groan inwardly, already knowing what was about to happen. _Oh...crud..._ she thought, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her face.

* * *

><p>"...and while the battle between the Avengers and the Hulkbusters may have concluded, this reporter can't help but wonder if this is the end of the conflict, or just a prelude of worse things to come," Sally spoke into her cell phone, her heart pounding in her chest even as she did her best to sound calm and composed as a field reporter should as her words were spread across the nation. "This is Sally Floyd for WKNN Action News. Now, back to the studio."<p>

A beat passed before Gary's voice sounded. "Annnnd...we're clear!" It was only at these words that Sally allowed herself to heave a sigh of relief just before mopping her brow, shedding the tension as her coworker and cohort went on to say, "Great work, babe! You should see the numbers we're getting here!"

Sally could almost see those numbers even in that van. And she was determined to make the ratings they were seeing now look like nothing in very short order. "You can show 'em to me later, Gary! I'm heading back to the studio now!" she instructed him, glancing back at the other person present. "Because I've got some exclusive interviews to get ready for!"

"I heard _that!"_ Gary replied, conveying a huge grin through his voice. "I'll have the makeup team ready and waiting for you, babe! Just get back here as soon as you can!"

"Gladly! Seeya!" Sally grinned even as she snapped her phone shut.

But even as she put away her phone, Sally became aware of a low, dignified voice speaking. "...excellent. As long as you can keep her distracted, that will give us the time needed." Turning about, the reporter raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Black Panther, seated in the lotus position, speaking calmly over a cell phone. "Thank you, my friend. As is said in this country, I owe you one." Though his mask betrayed no expression or movement of the eyes, the Wakandan hero seemed to glance in Sally's direction. "I must attend to the situation at hand, but I will speak to you later. Thank you."

Raising an eyebrow even as Black Panther folded up his cell phone and put it away, Sally asked, "And just who were you talking to?"

"A friend and ally whom I needed to speak with," Black Panther returned in his typically vague manner. Once again scowling at yet another of his non-answers, Sally was tempted to call him on it when he said, "I see that you have fulfilled your end of our bargain thus far."

A beat passed as Sally considered this attempt to change topics before deciding that it wasn't worth discussing who Panther had been on the phone with, and instead focused on the prize that she had earned. "Just as we agreed," she nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "So now it's time for you to live up to other part of _your _end of the deal! Those exclusive interviews your promised me with members of the Avengers! I want them, and I want them _today!"_

"And you shall have them," Black Panther assured her with a sleight nod. "And the Avengers you will be interviewing will be myself, Captain America, Iron Man...and the Hulk."

A beat passed as Sally considered this matter, right before she felt herself pale to a degree. "The Hulk...?" she repeated, her mind immediately painting an image of herself in close proximity with the gamma-spawned rage monster that she knew beyond any doubt that she wouldn't like when he was angry. "You want to bring the _Hulk _to the studio...?"

"Indeed. An interview with him would be most...productive for the both of us." A beat passed as the Black Panther seemed to smile beneath his mask. "I assure you, he will be on his best behavior."

But this assurance fell flat in the face of the prospect of becoming a stain on the Hulk's oversized fists. At the same time, however, Sally was considering the situation, and in a way, she had to admit that the Black Panther had a point about an interview with him being productive for both of them. For it was obvious that the Avengers were basically playing a game of power politics with SHIELD, doing their best to make the Hulk look like a hero and to make SHIELD and the Hulkbusters look bad for tormenting him all these years. And this was an attempt that would fail abysmally if the Hulk lost his temper and started smashing stuff on national television.

_Besides, just think about what will happen when people hear that we'll be having the _Hulk _on _live television_!_ Sally thought, for one of the lessons she had learned as a reporter was that people couldn't resist violence. The same way people on the freeway will stop to gawk at a traffic accident, looking for signs of blood and gore, the audiences of America would gleefully tune in to her broadcast if it meant a chance to watch the Incredible Hulk go on a rampage, with blood and guts and smashing in digital color. _There's only one way to perk up that image a bit more..._

"Alright. I can work with that," Sally slowly admitted, doing her best to sound like a tempted buyer who would only take the bait if the person doing the selling sweetened the deal just a bit more. "However...if it were possible to get the Wasp as well, I'm sure that would make for an even better interview."

Black Panther seemed to frown slightly beneath his mask as he considered the matter. "I would have to contact Iron Man to see if this was feasible," he finally admitted, sounding as if he found Sally's request suspicious, but was unable to think of any practical reason to decline it. "But if I may ask, why do you specifically want to interview Wasp?"

"I don't. Not particularly," Sally lied, for while she wasn't an expert on the Avengers, she had learned enough about Janet Van Dyne to recognize her as being a party girl with a big mouth. Just the kind of ditz whose lips could sink ships if pushed in just the right way. And even if that failed, there was a great deal of truth in the old adage that sex sells. And a beautiful woman clad in a skintight outfit that showed plenty of cleavage was just the thing to lure more drooling losers into watching the interview, thus padding her numbers that much more. "However, I've done my homework on you Avengers.. And having someone like her that can break the tension during an interview can keep things from getting too grim, and the audience likes that sort of thing. And Wasp _is _a founding member of the Avengers, and the more of them, the better, I'd say."

Again, Black Panther seemed to frown beneath his mask, but ultimately did no more than narrow his eyes and state, "Very well, then. I'll inform Iron Man as to your request, and your reasons for wishing for Wasp's presence."

"Fine. You do that," Sally replied, doing her best to keep the triumph from her voice. Then she looked up at the front of the van, where the driver sat waiting. "Hey, Vernon, let's get rolling! There's an interview to get ready for!"

"On it, Sally," replied the driver with a nod.

A beat passed as the engine revved, and Sally felt her heart practically skipping a beat as she thought of the way this story kept snowballing into something even more spectacular. Even as she buckling up and making herself comfortable for the trip back to the studio, however, her cell phone rang once more. Scowling at this distraction, Sally quickly retrieved it and checked the Caller ID before flipping the phone open. "Gary? What is it? I told you I'm on my way now!"

"I know that, babe. But...well, I figured I'd better warn you before you got back," Gary intoned in a voice that promised bad news. "Ned's decided to send out teams scope out the damage, get some interviews, that sort of thing."

Frowning slightly as she considered this logical move, Sally then asked, "So?"

"So he's sent Irene to that Stark factory where that field trip was," Gary explained in an unhappy manner. "And the Avengers that were there...are still there."

Grimacing at this, Sally paused to curse her luck. Irene was essentially the bane of her existence, always doing her best to horn in on the hottest stories and had ruined more than one opportunity for Sally to reignite her stagnated career. A self-serving bottom-feeder of the lowest kind who was more than happy to use her body to advance her own agendas, which was more than likely the reason Ned had assigned her to tackle the part of the city where there were Avengers, ripe and ready to be interviewed and so on.

_But still, _I'm_ the one who got us this exclusive footage! _I'm _the one who got us the exclusive interviews!_ Sally reminded herself. _Not even Ned could forget something like that! And if Irene's out in the field, picking up a few scraps for herself, than she can't be at the studio, messing things up for me!_

With that in mind, Sally sat back. Watching as Black Panther made of his Avengers ID Card to facilitate the next stage of their deal...and the rebirth of her career.

* * *

><p>If there was one thing that Maria Hill had learned as an agent of SHIELD, it was that winning or losing a single battle did not determine the course of an entire war. And while she had been forced to concede that the Avengers had won a serious victory in this recent fiasco with the Hulkbusters, she absolute refused to allow them to come out ahead in this conflict.<p>

"Quartermain," Hill spoke, scowling as she continued to survey the various forms of intelligence pouring into the screens before her, as well as the newsfeed they had been monitoring that remained on the main screen. "ETA for SHIELD teams in Los Angeles?"

Looking up from his own workstation, the blonde agent replied, "The first units should be arriving within fifteen minutes, sir."

That was twenty minutes too slow in Hill's opinion, but given the situation, she knew she wasn't in a position to complain. "As soon as they arrive, have them secure all areas that were attacked," she ordered in a terse manner. "And contact the Hulkbusters! Make sure that they have Ross secured and under close watch!"

"Understood," Quartermain nodded before returning to his duties.

Satisfied that Quartermain would do his job to the best of his ability, Hill continued to study the catastrophic mess the Avengers made for her to try and deal with. _The first thing to do is perform damage control,_ she thought, planning out her next move. _As soon as all the other costumed vigilantes hear about what happened, they'll take it as a sign that they can do whatever they want, regardless of the law. And thanks to those idiots in the news, we're going to be the ones looking bad until we set the record straight, and - huh?_

The image on the main screen showing the WKNN Action News channel shifted, going from the studio to an exterior shot. At the center of the screen was a blonde woman wearing too much makeup, smiling easily for the camera. "...Irene Wilkerson, and I'm coming to you live from one of several Stark Industries complexes to have suffered as a result of the Hulkbusters..."

_The only reason Stark's factory suffered is because he wouldn't cooperate with us!_ Hill couldn't help but think, utterly furious because she knew that the public loved an underdog, and thanks to all of the government foul-ups and corruption that the news just loved to plaster over every channel, SHIELD would automatically be portrayed as the Bad Guy in this confrontation. _We were trying to prevent a potential crisis and deal with rogue vigilantes! If he just played by the rules, then -!_

"...as you can see just from this limited view, the damage caused in this brief span of violence is nothing short of catastrophic," Irene went on even as the camera panned to show what looked like a warzone in the background. Buildings shattered, walls blown apart, craters blown in the concrete, and numerous vehicles, military and civilian alike, left as little more than burning wrecks. "Leaving everyone to wonder why SHIELD is pushing so hard for the capture of the Hulk and his cousin, and why the Avengers are willing to go so far and put so many lives at risk, all to protect this notorious man-monster and - _ow!"_

Starting at the fact that someone had thrown a pencil at Irene's face, Hill had just enough time to wonder where the unlikely projectile had come from when a tiny voice cried out, "Hey! Hulk's not a monster!"

"Yeah!" seconded another tiny voice. "Hulk's a _hero!"_

Scowling at the use of the words 'Hulk' and 'hero' in the same sentence, Hill watched as Irene recovered, massaging the spot on her face where the pencil had hit home, while a familiar voice scolded, "Hey, you can't throw things at people like that! You could hurt someone!"

While one of the voices protested from offscreen, Irene sighed and recovered. "However, it would appear that Hulk's status as a monster is somewhat in doubt." Then gestured offscreen with her head before saying, "As you can see for yourself."

With that, the camera shifted off to the side, and revealed a scene that instantly made Hill sick to her stomach. The Hulk was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the shattered parking lot, one arm in his lap and his head resting in the palm of his other hand, a deep scowl of what almost looked like embarrassment on his face. And it didn't take long for Hill to realize why that was; several children were currently climbing all over the green goliath, and with even more touching, poking, and fooling around him even as Wasp struggled to dissuade their antics.

"Hey! C'mon, already!" Wasp spoke in clear exasperation as she pulled one of the kids off of Hulk's back. "Didn't your parents teach you not to go climbing on other people! Seriously! Learn some manners!"

"Wow. You really are hard, you know that?" noted a little girl, who was presently gently pounding on Hulk's leg with an inquisitive expression. "Your legs feel harder than rocks!"

"You know, you really should dress better," a little boy noted as he surveyed Hulk's shredded trousers. "Mom and Dad would be really mad at me if I ran around barefoot in ripped up pants."

Giving the boy in question a look and seeming to wonder what he could have done to deserve this, Hulk rumbled back, "Yeah, well, your folks don't have to find clothes in my size, so..."

"Can't you get something tailored?" wondered another girl. "Iron Man's really rich and all. Can't he get you something?"

Again, Hulk looked to be at a loss as to how to handle this, but before he could say anything, a thoughtful expression appeared on Wasp's face. "You know, they have a point there," she decided, massaging her chin to the tune of a metaphorical light bulb appearing over her head. "Those ripped up trousers don't exactly say, 'Friendly Neighborhood Hulk', now do they?"

Shooting Wasp a poisonous look, Hulk pointed at her and grumbled, "Now don't you start with me...!"

"I'm just saying that maybe it's time for an image makeover," Wasp continued, not at all intimidated as she held up her thumbs and forefingers so as to frame the Hulk. "A costume wouldn't work, but...you know, maybe something simple. A tank-top shirt, some _non-_shredded pants...and some killer boots for stomping bad guys!" As Hulk issued a heavy groan at this, the winsome Avenger went on to say, "Hey, take it from a girl who knows fashion, Big Green! With a little makeover...!"

_I can't believe I'm seeing this!_ Hill thought, wishing for a moment that she were in the privacy of her quarters where she could give vent to her outrage without having to worry about others witnessing her loss of control. _They're acting like that gamma-mutated freak is like something at a petting zoo!_

For a long time, Hill stared hatefully at the image of Wasp playfully suggesting different fashion choices for a Hulk trying to blend in with polite society, her clenched fists shaking with hatred. But slowly and with considerable effort, the current Director of SHIELD reigned in her outrage. _No...I can't let myself get distracted,_ she frowned, returning her attention to the situation at hand. _I've got enough troubles to deal without making more problems for myself._

And as she did so, Hill considered some of the problems she already had. There was no doubt that she would have to deal with the World Security Council and the consequences of Ross's roaring rampage, a rampage that she had made possible. But she didn't dare let the Avengers get away with this without doing something to at least salvage something from this debacle. Not unless she basically wanted to tell every costumed vigilante in the world that they were free to do whatever they pleased and there was nothing the law could do to touch them.

With this thought in mind, Hill spoke, "Quartermain, contact the SHIELD PR Department. I want our best teams to get to work on dealing with this mess!"

"Yes, sir," Quartermain replied, though his voice betrayed his complete lack of enthusiasm in this respect.

But Hill didn't care if Quartermain or anyone else was unenthusiastic about his or her orders, as long as those orders were carried out. _We have to play up the fact that the Avengers were tampering with Hulk's blood,_ she thought, already planning out her next move in their cold war with the vigilante team. _Everyone remembers what happened when Leader tried to mutate the planet. If we play that up and make it clear that we were trying to get the Avengers to turn Walters and the Hulk over as a preventive measure, then -_

"Director Hill, sir?" came another voice, snapping her from her thoughts as she looked to see Agent Woo standing nearby, looking at her. "There's a call coming in. For you, sir."

"Whoever it is, it can wait," Hill shot back, unwilling to be distracted at a time like this.

"But, sir!" Woo persisted, and before Hill could get him to be silent, he added, "It's the President of the United States, sir."

At these words, Hill just stared at Woo for a time before growling irritably in her throat. _So, it's already starting..._ she fumed inwardly. _I suppose I should be glad that it's just the president and not the council...not _yet,_ anyway..._

With this in mind, Hill turned her glare towards Quartermain. "Continue monitoring the situation in Los Angeles. If anything important happens - anything _at all_ - I expect you to contact me _immediately!_"

"Understood," Quartermain nodded in an obedient manner.

Satisfied with this, Hill heaved a deep breath before making her way off the bridge. Bristling with anger and more determined than ever to keep control of the situation, and find some way to turn it to her advantage.

* * *

><p>"So she wants Wasp for the interview as well?" Iron Man muttered, raising an eyebrow at this. "Sheesh, talk about greedy! Some people would be thrilled just to get an interview with just me!"<p>

"Perhaps...but not all people are women entranced with wealth and technological power," Panther shot back, his masked visage shown on Iron Man's HUD as he flew towards the factory, intent on rendezvousing with Hulk and Wasp. "And as for Ms. Floyd's request...she made it sound that Wasp's presence was not essential. Merely something that would add to the air of this interview." Then the eyepieces of his mask narrowed as he added, "However, I suspect that she was not entirely forthcoming about her desires..."

_Yeah, I'll bet..._ Iron Man thought, rolling his eyes disdainfully. He had had plenty of experience with reporters, and in the case of reporters of the attractive female persuasion, some of that experience had been fun. But at the same time, he had learned to recognize the tricks of the trade employed by some of the scummier of that bread. And Sally Floyd was certainly hitting all of those buttons.

"I think she's hoping for some fan service to boost her ratings, and an airhead she can catch off-guard and make look like an idiot. And figures Janet for both," Iron Man muttered aloud in a tone of patent disgust in that someone like that would actually profit from their plan. Reminding himself that they had needed someone that greedy for a story in order to make their plans work and that they hadn't had time to be choosy, he went on to say, "Still, I guess it couldn't hurt to have her along. If only to help keep an eye on Hulk for us."

"Very well, then," Black Panther returned. A beat passed before he added, "Though I will admit to looking forward to being done with this mission. Being in this woman's presence makes me feel...dirty."

"Hmph. Been there, done that," Iron Man replied. "I'll be with you at the studio as soon as I pick up the others. Iron Man out."

As Black Panther's image disappeared from his HUD, Iron Man sighed wearily. On the one hand, he really did hate having to deal with the self-serving, opportunistic bimbo that had landed them in this mess in the first place, and under normal circumstances, he would have gladly given her a full salvo from Stark Industries' best legal teams. But at the same time, he had to admit that having Wasp along might not be such a bad idea.

_Janet and Hulk do get along,_ Iron Man thought, recalling things such as the time when the Avengers had confronted Captain Mar-Vell of the Kree, and how the winsome Wasp had encouraged their green goliath to smash him. _And it can't hurt to have another person on Hulk duty while we're dealing with the idiot reporter who blabbed about everything without so much as a thought as to what would happen next..._

Making a mental note to do something to pay Sally Floyd back for her irresponsible reporting when this was all over, Iron Man then shifted his focus to the next part of the mission. "JARVIS, contact Wasp."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS obediently returned.

Several seconds passed as an electronic warbling was heard, and was soon followed by Wasp's face appearing on the HUD. "Janet, listen up! There's been a change of plans, and -!" Iron Man started...only to pause when he something that his mind could not comprehend at first. "Uh...what the...?"

"Huh? What is - oh, I see!" Wasp returned, turning a bashful glance over her shoulder at Hulk, who presently had a couple kids climbing over him like he was an oversized critter at the petting zoo. "Uh, yeah...we were, uh...working on Big Green's public image, and..."

Despite everything else that had been going wrong as of late, Iron Man couldn't help but chortle at the image of the Incredible Hulk, the strongest and quite possibly most feared person on the entire planet, being swarmed by a bunch of giggling children. "Oh, _this _I've _got _to see with my own eyes...and then record it for posting later!"

"I heard that...!" Hulk growled, turning his eyes to shoot a baleful emerald glare that would have sent most people running for the cover of the undersides of their beds.

But Iron Man had been around the Hulk to know that his bark was worse than his bite, at least in the case of people that didn't require smashing. And even moreso, he needed to laugh. He needed to relax and let go of some of the tension that had been mounding up uncontrollably since this whole sordid mess had started. He needed to laugh and enjoy himself, because he knew that, with all the many difficulties he knew still lay ahead, it would likely be a while before he had a similar chance to unwind.

"Ha...anyway, Wasp?" Iron Man tried again, speaking around a range of giggles and chortles. "As I said, there's...there's been a change of plans." When the fun-loving heroine frowned her perplexity, the armored Avenger added, "We're ready to go ahead with setting up the interviews, but Floyd's decided that she wants one more Avenger to be able to subject to her mouth."

Making a face at this, Wasp scowled in a way that was almost cute. "_Another_ Avenger?! She's already gonna have _half the team_ there! Just how far backwards are we gonna bend over for this -?!" Then her eyes widened as she put two and two together, and realized where Iron Man was going with this. "Wait a second - you mean _me?! _Are you _kidding?!"_

"Afraid not," Iron Man admitted. "And to answer your question, we're bending over just far enough to get out of this mess without putting our heads _and _Hulk's cousin's heads on SHIELD's chopping blocks."

"But - what about Jennifer?!" Wasp protested. "I told Hulk I'd go back to the factory and keep an eye on her for him!"

"Hawkeye's already there, and I'm gonna call Thor and tell him to head back as well to keep an eye on things. Just in case Hill or the Hulkbusters decide to pull a fast one on us," Iron Man immediately explained. "Jan, I know you don't like this. But for now, it's either play ball with this reporter to get what we want, or give Hill the time she needs to frame us for this mess. And you know what will happen if we go for Option 2."

A beat passed as Janet looked off towards Hulk, who looked back in kind. Frowning slightly, he then gave a slight nod of his head, to which Wasp made a noise of patent disgust in her throat. "Great. Just perfect," she muttered irritably. _"This_ is why I prefer dealing with super-villains. At least we can just beat them all up and be done with it!"

"Hmph. Tell me about it," Hulk muttered as another kid climbed on his back.

"Anyway, I'll be there soon. So tell Hank about what's happening, and tell him to head on back to the mission as soon as the kids and everything else is taken care of there," Iron Man instructed Wasp.

"Okay, fine," Wasp grumbled with all of the enthusiasm of someone on their way to have root canal.

"Iron Man out," Stark concluded just before Wasp's visage disappeared from his HUD. "Okay, JARVIS, contact Thor," the billionaire hero instructed, still snickering at the image of Hulk covered in kids.

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied, and a few seconds later, the Asgardian prince's image appeared on Iron Man's HUD.

"Thor! How're things on your end?" Iron Man wondered. "Have the Hulkbusters finished clearing out yet?"

"Aye," Thor nodded in confirmation. "Also, the police and several medical conveyances have arrived, and the wounded are now being tended to."

"Okay, so I guess we can say that area is secure, then," Iron Man decided. "In which case, I think it's time for you to head to the mission. I get the feeling that all of us, including the Hulk, would feel more comfortable if you were keeping an eye on Jennifer for us. Make sure nothing happens."

"Very well, then," Thor replied, his eyes narrowing somewhat. "And you need fear not, Iron Man; no further harm shall befall Hulk's kin. So swears the son of Odin."

Satisfied with this, Iron Man replied, "I don't doubt it. Iron Man out."

Satisfied that the current situation was under control or at least well on the way towards being that way, Iron Man continued towards the factory where Hulk and Wasp were waiting for him. He knew he could have sent them on ahead to the studio, but at the same time, he also knew how people in general tended to react to the green goliath's presence. Even something as innocent as him strolling down the streets was enough to send most folks running away in sheer terror. Furthermore, people were already bound to be on edge after everything that had happened without Hulk leaping around, potentially smashing things by accident.

_Besides, there is no way on Earth that I would miss out on Hulk playing babysitter for a bunch of kids!_ Iron Man thought, smirking at the image of the big green guy with kids crawling all over him. _And speaking of which...!_

Even as this thought ran its course, Iron Man came within view of the factory in question, and to his considerable satisfaction, Hulk still had a bunch of children climbing around him and on top of him. "JARVIS, you _are _recording this, right?"

"Certainly," JARVIS promptly confirmed. "As per Avengers protocol for the mission reports."

Nodding to this, Iron Man thought to that rare moment of good advice from Nicky Fury in which he had suggested going over Avengers' mission recordings, to evaluate and improve upon their performance. Something that had come in handy in isolating mistakes made in the field, and helping to prevent them from reoccurring in the future. _And now,_ he thought as he began his descent towards his fellow Avengers, _it's perfect for a proverbial Kodak moment!_

"Hey, gang! Sorry to take so long in getting here!" Iron Man announced, his palms angled to direct blasts from his repulsors to slow his descent. As he landed, he took notice of Wasp and Ant-Man standing nearby, with the winged wonder struggling to reign in the children that were still using Hulk as their personal jungle gym. "Well, I'm glad to see you're all alright, and -!"

"Hey, look!" cried out one of the little girls that was standing next to Hulk. "It's Iron Man!"

"What, you just noticed me? I'm hurt!" Iron Man snarked, taking note of the way the kids seemed to freeze in awe of him. "So, Hulk, you never told me you had your own fan club!"

A low growl sounding in Hulk's throat, the gamma-powered behemoth glowered at him before declaring, "I'm _not_ in the mood for this, Stark...!"

"Aw, isn't this just so adorable?" Iron Man went on, clasping his hands together as he spoke in a cutesy-wootsie manner. "The big green ogre's got himself a collection of munchkin mice!"

"Stark...!" Hulk grated with increased heat, his eyes flashing in warning.

But this warning only served to stoke the fire of Iron Man's snark. "And what's this? It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks this is just too, _too _precious!" he went on, knowing that Hulk couldn't see what was on his HUD. "Oh, the YouTube comments! They're rolling in like you can't believe!"

His eyes widening in astonished horror, Hulk then glowered and growled, "You're posting this _online?!"_

_Not yet, I haven't! But I'll get around to it later!_ Iron Man thought, unable to believe just how much he was enjoying this. What he said aloud was, "'Ooh, look at the big, green doormat! He's letting a bunch of kids walk all over him!' 'It's the Incredibly Adorable Hulk!' 'What is that -'" The sound of something pinging off of his armor stopped his teasing in mid-sentence, prompting Iron Man to stop and frown. "Uh, what the -?!"

"I believe one of the children threw a pencil at you, sir," JARVIS pointed out, even as Iron Man glanced down and spotted the pencil on the ground.

"Hey!" one of the boys cried out, pointing an accusing finger at the armored Avenger. "Iron Man's making fun of Hulk! You can't do that!"

"Huh?" Iron Man got out, looking at a bunch of little kids who suddenly were looking quite annoyed. "Now, wait just a minute...I was just teasing him a little! It was no big -!"

"You're a big bully!" declared another little boy. _"Get him!"_

"Yeah! Smash him!" chimed in a girl as the children began dismounting the Hulk and swarming towards Stark. "Smash Iron Man!"

"Oh, now wait just a -!" Iron Man protested, holding out his hands and waving in surrender even as he stepped backwards...only to catch his feet on something. "Wait - wha -?!"

Before he even realized what was happening, Iron Man had come crashing down, falling flat on his back. Acting on instinct, he looked up, only for his mouth to fall open in surprise when he saw two children slipping out from beneath his legs, laughing giddily at having been the cause of his downfall. But before the armored Avenger could wonder how they had managed to position themselves thusly or scold them for doing something like this, the rest of the children began swarming all over him, crying out things along the lines of, "Get him! Smash Iron Man!"

While Iron Man was wondering what he could have possibly done to deserve this, a deep chortle was heard, almost drowning out a more discrete snickering. But even as Hulk and Ant-Man were laughing at his expense, Wasp was rubbing further salt in his wounds. "Hmm...I wonder what kind of YouTube comments _this _will bring in?" she wondered as she held out her Avengers ID Card, recording every detail of Iron Man's disgrace. "Not so funny when you're on the receiving end, huh, Tony?"

"Okay, okay! I give! I surrender already!" Iron Man cried out in protest, holding up his hands in surrender as the children continue to jump around and bash him with lunch boxes and backpacks and whatever was handy. "Now call off the Lollipop Guild before they scratch my paintjob!"

A thoughtful expression appeared on Hulk's face, one that made it clear that he was enjoying Iron Man's discomfort every bit as much as Iron Man had when the shoe had been on the other foot. But before the green goliath could say anything, JARVIS announced, "Excuse me, Mr. Stark, everyone. But I'm afraid that we have another problem."

Iron Man was sorely tempted to made a snide remark at this, but Ant-Man spoke before he could do so. "What kind of problem, JARVIS?"

"The armor's sensors have just detected traces of gamma energy," JARVIS reported. "They're minimal now, but they appear to be rising."

That got everybody's attention, including that of the horde of angry ankle biters that were still swarming Iron Man. "Gamma?" a girl asked. "Isn't that what makes Hulk big and green?"

"Yeah, but it can also be highly dangerous," Ant-Man declared before any of the kids could get the idea that gamma energy was a good thing. "Where's it coming from, JARVIS? The Hulk?"

"No, sir. It's the wrong gamma frequency, and unlike Hulk's, it _is _potentially harmful," JARVIS promptly reported. "As for where it is coming from, it appears to be coming from one of the Hulkbuster tanks."

This immediately got Iron Man's attention. "Whoa, wait a second!" he cried out, all business as he started to right himself, the children obediently clearing off of him as he looked towards one of the shattered Hulkbuster tanks. "JARVIS, perform a full scan of all the Hulkbuster vehicles! Let's see what we're dealing with!"

A beat passed as the full sensory capabilities of the Iron Man armor went to work, analyzing and disassembling the ruined tank in virtual reality, taking it apart bolt by digital bolt until JARVIS found the source of the problem. "Alert. The Hulkbuster vehicles have been fitted with miniaturized gamma power cells that are integrated with their weapons systems."

"Wait, what?!" Wasp cried out in dismay. "You mean those creeps have been shooting gamma rays at us?! And we're just finding out about it _right now?!"_

Iron Man was just as annoyed as Wasp in this. "JARVIS, _tell me _you didn't notice gamma energy when the Hulkbusters were shooting us."

"Armor sensors _did _register a slight gamma variance to the blasts, sir. However, it was not significant enough to be of any threat," JARVIS immediately reported.

"What about the gamma cores you detected?" Ant-Man wondered. "Are _they _dangerous?"

"Apparently, three of the gamma cores _are_ damaged, and are leaking gamma energy," JARVIS reported. "The levels are presently minimal, but unless they are repaired -"

"Wait a minute!" Hulk cried out in realization, horror and rage creasing his features as he rose up to his feet. "What about Jennifer?!"

Wasp and Ant-Man gaped in astonished shock as they realized what Hulk meant, and Iron Man was certain that he was wearing a similar expression beneath his faceplates. "JARVIS, what about the mission?! Are there any damaged gamma cores near there?!"

"I'm afraid there's no way of telling from here," JARVIS sheepishly reported. "We would have to return to the mission, and -"

"Then that's precisely what we're going to do!" Iron Man declared, rising to his feet and taking control of the situation. "Hank, alert everyone here and get them clear of the area! Tell them what's happening!"

"Right!" Ant-Man nodded in agreement before getting to work. "C'mon, kids! We need to get going! It's not safe here!"

Satisfied that Hank was on the job and would get things taken care of, Iron Man looked at his compatriots. "Hulk, Wasp, let's get back to the mission! If those gamma cores leak enough radiation and it gets to Jennifer -!"

"I _know _what'll happen, Shellhead!" Hulk roared right in Iron Man's face, giving him a clear view of emerald irises filled with unspent rage just before he coiled his legs beneath him and launched himself into the air.

"Right behind you, big guy!" Wasp cried out as she shrank down, wings sprouting from her back as she launched herself after the Hulk, with Iron Man close behind them both.

"JARVIS, put in a call to Damage Control! Tell 'em what's going on and that we're gonna need cleanup teams out here as soon as possible!" Iron Man instructed the AI in a terse, furious voice. "And then contact SHIELD!"

"Damage Control has been contacted. I am informing them of the situation even as we speak, sir," JARVIS reported an even manner. "Opening a channel to SHIELD now."

_Good! Because this sick game of Hill's has gone too far!_ Iron Man thought, thinking of all the work they had done to make certain that Jennifer was protected from Hulk's mutant DNA, of the efforts they had made to extract every last shred of gamma energy from his blood to prevent his altered genetics from bonding to her own cellular structure and transforming them in a similar manner. Efforts that could have been left totally futile as a result of Hill's obsessive need to control everything under the name of advancing SHIELD's own interests. _One way or another, this _has_ to stop! Before anyone else gets hurt!_

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><p>Author's Notes: Well, it took longer to update this story than I had intended, but I do hope that all of you enjoyed, nonetheless. So please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?<p>

First of all, I really do appreciate your heartfelt condolences regarding my mother's passing. Thank you, all of you.

Some of you might object to those scenes I did with the Hulk with the children, and I will admit that the last scene with them going after Iron Man was more for comedy than anything else. But I did feel it would make for a nice change of pace to have people not being afraid of the Hulk, and to show him trying to cope with a situation like that. All too often, Hulk's role in shows, movies, etc. is pretty much limited to 'big, green jerk who growls, eats like a pig, and smashes'. So I thought it would be nice to take him out of that role, and having him deal with a situation like that with the children.

As for the gamma cores suddenly showing up in the Hulkbuster vehicles, that came as a result of two things. One is that I had a plan in mind for Jennifer's first transformation, but as I went further into this story, the more I realized that that original plan would take too long to get to, and might not work as well as I had first thought. So I arranged for something to expedite the process. Also, it occurred to me that we've seen gamma-based weaponry being more effective on Hulk than regular weaponry. So I put the two together, and there you go.

craggey, I'm glad that you're enjoying this story. Thanks for the high approval rating.

Daniel6, well, in the battles with the Hulkbusters, there was this pilot who bore enough of a resemblance to G.I. Joe's Wild Bill that people on YouTube pointed it out, so I decided to use it. And unfortunately, Ross isn't heading for a padded cell anytime soon.

overallobsessiveness, thank you. And indeed, She-Hulk catches a lot of flak and is treated more as a sex symbol than as the character she has the potential to be. I mean, she's a lawyer, she's trained under Captain America, she has martial arts and weapons skill...I swear, with the right writer, there's no limit to what can be done with her. Anyway, I am trying to get more done, and I'm sorry I'm not succeeding nearly as well as I would like. And I do have plans for self-publishing my own, original works.

Akuma Kawashima, well, Jen should be hulking out sometime within the next few chapters.

Star Saber21, considering the sheer amount of misery Ross has brought to...well, pretty much everyone, he certainly had this coming. And you can expect Hill to be getting some serious chewing out, but for her to remain oblivious to the lessons she should be learning for a good while.

PhinalPhantasy, well, things have yet to improve. Still, here's hoping.

adlerj, I honestly think that's the best way to handle things. Every character should get at least one scene, if you get my meaning. And I agree about Hank. The problem is that, as long as villains choose to remain villains, there's nothing you can do to change them. All you can do is fight or let them win. I do have plans for situations in which Wasp and Hank talk (and sometimes argue) about their respective views. Well, considering who assembled the Hulkbusters, I suppose it's no surprise they're pretty extreme. And Hill reined in Ross. The problem is, who's gonna rein in Hill?

GreenScar1990, thank you. Ross will be eating some serious crow soon, but sadly, he will be spared from the worst of the consequences for his actions. Hill and SHIELD will persist to pains for the Avengers for a good while. As for Hulk and Wasp hooking up...originally, my plan was to try and blend this story into the series, but the more I look at it, the more obvious it is to me that that won't be possible. And as I make more changes...well, let's just say I will consider pairing those two up. As you said, those two have great chemistry.

Rassilon001, Black Panther is presently dealing with Sally Floyd, and trust me when I say he is not enjoying it. At all.

DJ Rodriguez, as you saw this chapter, the Hulkbusters are paying for their evil ways in pain. The problem with Ross and Hill is that they are both so fixated on getting what they want that they are completely ignoring the damage they do to others in the process.

general zargon, yeah, I was looking forward to writing Ross getting owned by Cap. The problem is that Hill doesn't see anything wrong with that she's doing, and ultimately does more harm than good.

Quathis, Hill is going to be called out for her actions in the coming chapters. Don't expect her to listen to a word said, though.


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